


I Will Be Your Shield, I Will Bring You Together

by letmeshinebright



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: ?????, Blood and Injury, Blood?, Established Relationship, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, First Kiss, Fluff, Graphic Description, Intimate car scene, Just you wait - Freeform, Lucio gives a mean back massage, Luhardt, M/M, Multi, Nightmare NSFW, Nightmares, Overwatch - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/non-con elements dream, Slow Burn, Tentacle Sex, There will probably be McHanzo, This is my first fanfic please be kind to me, Wet Dream, YOOOOOOOOOO, and Genyatta, confused thoughts, handjob, look out for the gays, supportive friends, tagging just in case, yeah thats right i said it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 00:23:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 82,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7913230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letmeshinebright/pseuds/letmeshinebright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Overwatch has just been recalled by Winston, and the old crew is trying to make up for lost time. Members are joining, missions will soon begin again, and justice will be dealt. Reinhardt thought that Overwatch was a mission left for history to reflect on, but now back in the thick of things he is ready for action. With the further Overwatch goes, the more ghosts seem to be reappearing. And with old ghosts, come old memories.</p>
<p>Get ready for that slow burn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, letmeshinebright here. This is my very first fanfiction that I have ever posted to the public. Comments and critique are very highly appreciated. I hope you enjoy! Ill try to keep this fic updated as best I can (but as I am entering college, im not sure how regularly Ill be posting) Ill try to keep it with one chapter a week.
> 
> Without further ado, I give you chapter one of "I Will Be Your Shield, I Will Bring You Together"
> 
> (This is all just intro stuff aaah)

_The sky glowed orange and red on the dark, smoky scene. Metal shrapnel and human carnage littered the battlefield before him as he moved towards the enemy lines. The constant drill of machine guns from dozens of sources came all at once. Shield up, glaring blue against the red lights of the heads of the omnics, marching in all together. Their feet beating against the earth all together like a drum. He looked over his shoulder at the German army rushing in behind him. Dozens among the hundreds fell under the enemy fire, before they even made it far enough to raise their guns. He turned back, his shield was cracking at the corners. It would not survive much longer under this rate of fire._

_Reinhardt hoisted his hammer in one hand. The omnics stopped to reload. His shield shattered, his weapon raised._

_“Hammer down!”_

The crack of earth in his dream woke him. The sound just loud enough to jolt his head up for a moment, before he sighed and laid it to rest on his pillow. Reinhardt took a deep breath, raising his hand to his eyes to rub the sand out of them before sitting up properly.

“Same dream as last night. And the night before that, and the night before that…” he drawled, raising himself off of his bunk. The bed creaked as it was released of the pressure Reinhardt put on it. Reinhardt’s knees cracked as he crossed the room in one step to his dresser, opening the top drawer to fish out a plain black t-shirt. He turned to the mirror and could not help the tired grin from tinging his lips as he looked at himself. 61 years old, and Reinhardt still was the spitting image of strength. He flexed his arms for a moment before raising the shirt above his head and slipping his arms through. He glanced in the mirror again before turning back to the dresser, eyes coming to rest on the only item on top of it.

A single, orange medicine bottle full of small, white tablets. Pain medicine, prescribed to him by Angela.

Reinhardt sighed, reaching out to the container before suddenly pulling back, his fingers retracting into his palm as if touching it would burn his skin. He considered the medicine for another moment before finally shaking his head, moving his gaze back down to the drawers to fish out a clean pair of boxers and jeans, changing into those as well before leaving his quarters.

Outside, the only light that illuminated the hall was that of the digital clock high on the wall. The numbers glowed red against the cool navy blue and black of the morning darkness.

“O’ Six hundred hours?” Reinhardt sighed at himself, continuing down the empty hall, “You promised yourself you would sleep in until at least O’ seven hundred, you old dog,” he could not help but chuckle, cracking his knuckles lightly. The snapping sound echoed through the quiet halls of the newly reoccupied Watchpoint. Well, “newly” was relative. Overwatch had its recall a mere three months ago, but it took that much time to get everyone back in one spot, moved in, comfortable. Now the team was just waiting to start accepting new recruits and start missions. Winston, who had taken the task of finding and accepting new Overwatch members, didn’t expect to get over a hundred emails in 24 hours. Reinhardt himself arrived within 48 hours, some had arrived sooner, but most all came later.

                Reinhardt stepped into the kitchen, freshly dusted from years of abandonment, and flipped on the light switch. Reinhardt reached up to open the top cupboard, but even this simple movement caused a slight pain to swell in his lower back. Reinhardt gave an annoyed grunt, pulling down the box of oatmeal hastily. He rubbed his back with his other hand, grumbling to himself as he started to cook. Before too long the water started to boil. He stirred the oatmeal lazily, the early morning haze not quite leaving him yet. Echoes of his dream mixed with the bubbling from the pot. Gunshots, canon fire, cries for help from those he could not save. A woman’s voice, screaming. The constant drill of machine guns flooded it all out before he finally tightened his fist, taking a deep and heavy sigh.

“ _Keine Schwäche, Keine Trauer_. No time for that,” he mumbled to himself as he spooned out the grey goop into a bowl, adding a hearty serving of honey to the top and mixing it gently.

                Bowl in hand, Reinhardt walked out of the kitchen. His head was already swimming with thoughts. The memories and voices poking through the tired haze of sleep relentlessly. But his hunger broke through it all with a needy growl. Reinhardt spooned in a bite of the oat and honey mix as he walked along outside, distracting his mind with anything he could see. The Watchpoint lighthouse rotating its light into the darkness of morning. The birds awakening with a tired morning song, his own footsteps echoing against the walls. His bowl kept his hands warm when the cool ocean air hit him. Reinhardt breathed in the crisp air, sighing contently. Steam floated away from his face. A new day, a new adventure.

                He situated himself on a raised walkway that faced the east. The sun has just started to give its first rays without even showing its face just yet. The sounds of machine guns finally faded from his mind and were replaced with seagulls and other waterfowl. The sounds of water crashing along, machinery somewhere within the watch point mulling along after years of not being used. Reinhardt barely heard the quiet _blink_ when he saw Lena’s blue trail screak across below him. She waved up to him cheerfully, her giggle ringing brightly. Reinhardt chuckled, and waved his spoon back before she blinked away again. He smiled to himself, _a morning bird, that Lena._

As the sun crawled above the horizon, an email pinged onto the group server. Reinhardt looked down at his projector-watch-thingamajig. A new age contraption Winston had outfitted everyone with to keep in contact, like a digital message board. Reinhardt found it amusing to post greetings to his fellow team members at first, but Winston had insisted that it only be used to convey important updates, and now found it boring. He tapped the tiny button to project the message.

-To all Members of Overwatch

-Today our first new recruit will be arriving at approximately 1300 hours.

-Attached to this email I have included a file containing his name and other various information.

-All those interested in greeting him to the Watchpoint, please be at the East Central bay by (at the latest) 1200 hours. It is not required, but appreciated.

-Winston

Reinhardt considered opening the attachment for a moment, a file labeled “Lucio Correia dos Santos”, but instead closed the email with a light tap to the watch screen. It was hard enough to read without his glasses, so he would have to save getting to know this new recruit for good old fashioned in-person questions. He picked his bowl back up and quickly scooped the rest of the food into his mouth. He looked up at the sunrise, sitting nicely in the morning sky, casting light on the glittering ocean.

“A new day, a new recruit,” he chuckled as he picked himself up, “Suppose I should make a good first impression,” Once Reinhardt had stood completely up, he glanced down at his watch, it was only eight o’clock. He stretched his arms above his head, earning loud cracks from both his shoulders and back. He winced, lowering his arms. “Oh, Reinhardt! _Sie sind ein alter mann_.”

                ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~             ~            

By the time Reinhardt had returned to the kitchen to wash his bowl, Lena had already finished her breakfast. Also in the kitchen was Angela, sipping from a coffee cup, having light hearted chatter with Lena. At the stove was Jesse McCree. With one sniff Reinhardt could smell the eggs and sausage in the pan. The cowboy glanced over his shoulder, tipping his hat and grinning in welcome. Reinhardt smiled back, squeezing past him to get to the sink. Angela and Lena looked up from the table.

“Good morning, Reinhardt! How are you feeling?” Angela smiled, taking a sip from her cup.

“Stronger than ever, _Fräulein!_ Thank you,” he spoke with an energy nobody would expect in the morning from everyone else. Angela smiled and hummed contently.

“Good to hear, Reinhardt. And is your back still bothering you?” She set the cup down, turning in the chair to face him more fully.

Reinhardt could not help but break eye contact. “What? No, of course not,” he chuckled. He could heart Angela audibly sigh.

“Did you at least take the pain killers I prescribed this morning?” He could feel her disappointed look from behind him. He chuckled, walking over to her.

“You sound like my mother, so worried!” He saw her expression, his smile and eyes softened, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, _Fräulein._ I’m fine. Really!” He laughed. For good measure he flexed his arms for her. She sighed and rolled her eyes, which earned a laugh from Lena and McCree

“Reinhardt, will you ever slow down?” Lena giggled, “How old are you now?”

“Sixty One! And I’m not stopping any time soon, you can bet your biscuit,” pointing his finger at Lena as he sat across the table from her. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, smirking in response.

“I’ll keep my biscuits, thanks. I wouldn’t bet against you any day,” She smiled, watching McCree join them at the table. The sleep was still hazy in his eyes under the brim of his hat.

“Did y’all read the message about the new recruit yet?” McCree mumbled through a mouthful of eggs, “Some spring chicken from Brazil. Freedom fighter,”

“Ha! Sounds like just the type we need!” Reinhardt could not help his fist from pounding the table in excitement, which caused McCree to catch his plate from falling off the table. McCree gave him a playful glare, which didn’t go away until Reinhardt followed up with “ _Entschuldigung_ ,”

“No worries, big fella,” He swallowed a bite of egg, “But I’ll admit, I’m excited to meet the kid. Apparently he was the first to contact Winston after he initiated the recall who _wasn’t_ in Overwatch before.

“I did have a chance to read his file. He has been doing some impressive work for the people of Brazil, for only being an entertainer he has a very wide reach,” Angela added, smiling, “He has also seemed to develop some interesting technology, converting music into a healing component on the battle field. I will have to ask him how he came up with the idea and technology.”

“Music? What, is he some sort of DJ?” Reinhardt looked to McCree. He nodded his head yes as he finished off a sausage. Reinhardt snorted.

“Well, I’m certainly excited to meet this entertaining healer!” he thought for a moment, then looked to Lena “Do you think he has heard of me? He sounds pretty young,”

Lena waved her hand at him, “Pfft, who hasn’t heard of-” She stood quickly, flexing her arms in a grand fashion, “-the great and powerful Reinhardt!” She spoke with a fake German accent. Reinhardt burst with a laugh, standing himself.

“You’re right! Aha!” he laughed, flexing one arm for the table. McCree gave a playful whistle.

“Hey, no guns at the table, old man,” McCree joked. Reinhardt waved him off, walking towards the door.

“Respect yer elders, cow man,” He shook a finger at McCree as he stood, moving towards the door. “I’ll see you all later today. Have a wonderful morning!” he cheered to the three of them before turning and leaving. He gave a heavy sigh, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck.

As Reinhardt walked back to his dormitory, he did secretly hope that this new Lucio really had not heard of him, though doubtful. It was nice to be recognized for his feats of the past, but usually after a session of questions and answers he felt empty, mind swimming with memories. Voices, faces, names, friends.

_‘There is more to being a hero than on the surface, Reinhardt.’_

He shook his head to dismiss the thought, the voice of Ana Amari fading back into memory. He reached his dormitory, turning the nob slowly. Reinhardt glanced back up at the clock on the wall, the red light appeared much less ominous than earlier. Before Reinhardt opened the door, he scanned the entire hall. In the old days, every room would have been occupied, maybe even two to a room. But since the recall, he was the only one to return from this hall. It was quiet, some nights agonizingly so that he would go out and train just to break the silence. He would beat away at the simulations until his arms burned, legs shook, and he would be found asleep on the training floor the next morning.

 Reinhardt flipped the switch and grabbed a towel. If he was to meet a brand new member of Overwatch, he wanted to be sure he at least make a good first impression. If anything, He wanted them to feel welcome, which meant he had to clean himself up. He had to look the part of “Unbreakable Soldier”. And to be honest with himself, his beard was looking a little too scruffy.

 


	2. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucio arrives at the Watchpoint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told y'all slow burn.
> 
> Hey y'all. Already starting to not be consistent with my posting aaaahahaha. Well I have a reason. You see, I am moving into uni tomorrow (9/3/2016), And I knew that if I would be busy with moving and meeting people and starting classes, I probably would not be able to write and edit this chapter! So I've worked a little double time on this one, but I hope it is just as good for you as the last one! Still slow beginning stuff (I am sorry ah i promise that ill add some excitement wooo) but enjoy the meeting!
> 
> as always comments and kudos are always appreciated. Contact me directly at letmeshinebright.tumblr.com

Everything seemed to fall together like clockwork. Before noon members of Overwatch started to collect at the East Central Bay to wait for the arrival of Lucio. Winston was the first there, typing away on a small laptop. Athena’s logo was on the back of it. He was so engrossed in what was on the screen he did not notice Reinhardt and Torbjörn walk up in front of him.

“Afternoon, my friend!” Reinhardt exclaimed, patting his hand on the scientists back hard enough for him to jump in surprise. Also, seeming to accidentally exit out of whatever he was doing before. Winston quickly glanced at Reinhardt, a look of small panic on his face before turned back to the computer and hit a couple keys. The previous page opened back up as Winston gave a sigh in relief, pushing his glasses back further up on his nose.

“Reinhardt… Don’t sneak up on someone like that,” Winston half chuckled, half sighed. He closed the laptop and turned towards the two men. “I’m glad the two of you could make it for the arrival of Lucio. Do you know if anyone else will show?”

“Heard that Lena and Jesse could make it, but Angela will be busy with Genji in the med bay. Said that Genji was due for inspection after so many years. Make sure all the bits ‘er working fine n’such.” Torbjörn explained, taking a seat on a nearby box. He rested his heavily modified arm against the seat, looking between Reinhardt and Winston.

“Right,” Winston nodded in understanding. He glanced back at the laptop before picking it up in one arm, hugging it close to his body as he walked on three limbs to sit near Torbjörn. Reinhardt watched with a wary eye, looking down at the scientist.

“What was is you were working on, Winston?” Reinhardt questioned. Winston had sit down with his legs crossed as much as they could be, computer resting in his lap. He looked up at Reinhardt for a moment, breaking eye contact before answering.

“Oh, just answering emails, making some contacts. Overwatch recruitment business,” he explained. This seemed plenty of an answer for Torbjörn, who nodded in understanding. Reinhardt, though, was not satisfied.

“Recruitment business? Well, tell us more, _freund!_ Who else is in consideration to join?” Reinhardt sat, wrapping a hand around Winston’s shoulders to shake him gently, a warm grin on his face. Winston couldn’t help but smile, chuckling a little.

“O-oh, well. After Lucio… Genji says that his master, Zenyatta, will be arriving. But Overwatch cannot recruit members too quickly to avoid media attention. We are already taking a big risk recruiting someone as famous as Lucio…” Winston pushes up his glasses, his tone indicating that he is more than slightly nervous. Reinhardt nods his head in understanding. Any Overwatch activity has still been deemed illegal, they are truly treading on thin ice.

“Recruiting Lucio is basically confirming to most of the world that Overwatch really is returning, then?” Torbjörn glanced over at Winston who nodded in return.

“So how quickly will we be bringing in new recruits?” Reinhardt questioned. Winston sighed.

“Maybe one every one… Two months?” He shrugged his shoulders slightly, “I wish that we could go faster, we need to! So many people are out there who want to help, and even more who need it. The Russian Defense Unit, the Korean MEKA team… The world wants us to return. They want to send help. Or at least are considering it,” Winston added the last part quickly before he looked to Reinhardt, a wistful look in his eyes.

It took Reinhardt a moment before he hugged the gorilla slightly, smiling in a knowing way, “You have a good heart, Winston. You’ve always seen the world for what it could be,” He pat his shoulder. “It’s admirable,”

Winston chuckled, “Yeah, but until real change is made, we are just sitting here,” Winston watched across the bay as Tracer walked in, accompanied by Jesse. He seemed to be sharing a joke, which made the brit laugh. Winston rose up, Reinhardt took his arm from around him and also stood.

The group of them waited for any sign of Lucio’s arrival. 1300 hours neared and in the distance, helicopter blades could be heard. Winston climbed up to one of the towers quickly, Tracer blinking up with him to watch as the helicopter neared. Reinhardt could hear her excited laughter. In his own chest excitement started to bubble. Overwatch was kicking off.

-

               

Lucio watched the Watchpoint come into view in the distance, he could barely hold the excitement inside him. He looked town at his smartphone, swiping a few times to play a special playlist he had made for this moment. It was labeled, simply, “Overwatch”. The music played coursed through his headphones into his ears, music making him bob his head and tap his hand on his lap to the rhythm. He pressed his hands back on the glass of the window, watching as they got closer. For a moment, he thought he saw something flash blue. It was not until the helicopter got closer for Lucio to see that the gorilla, Winston, had climbed up to the top of the radio tower of the bay. Accompanied by woman with bright orange tights. “Tracer”, Lucio recalled the heroines name. He had spoken with her on one of his numerous video calls with Winston. Tracer waved cheerfully, and he returned the wave with a bright laugh.

After the helicopter had landed, the Overwatch members waited patiently for Lucio to step out. Most of them had not seen what Lucio actually looked like. The copilot stepped out, walking around to the back compartment to open the door, reviling Lucio to them. He stepped out wearing sweatpants, a lime green hoodie with his frog emblem on the front, and casual sneakers. Headphones were situated over his ears. On his shoulders was a blue and green backpack. The copilot helped him step down out of the helicopter. But once his feet had hit the ground Lucio let out a relieved sigh, stepping into the sunlight.

“Oh, sweet ground!” He laughed. He took a step away from the helicopter, rotating in a circle to look at the Watchpoint. Lucio took a deep breath of the cold salty sea air. Sighing, he rested his hands on his hips, “Made it!”

Winston and Tracer approached first. Lucio’s smile was bigger than ever.

“Winston! How’s my main man?” He extended his hand out for a fist bump. Winston looked down at his hand, then back up with a confused look. Lena giggled next to him, nudging the gorillas arm with her elbow.

“It’s a fist bump, luv. You know! Like…” She stretched her own arm out and tapped Lucio’s fist with her own, giving Lucio a knowing wink. Winston babbled something along the lines of “O-oh, right”, extending his own huge first to tap his. Lucio laughed.

“Winson, you got a lot to learn bud!” He waved his arm at him, laughing. Lena laughed as well, and finally Winston nervously chuckled.

“W-well, you must be tired from traveling so far. Do you have any other bags?” Winston inquired, looking around Lucio to the helicopter.

“Oh, well. I got two duffels, but otherwise… This is all of it!” I slight blush came to Lucio’s face, “B-but is anyone else here? Or do I move in first? Or do I get my physical before anything-!?” Lucio was silenced when McCree came up behind him, placing his metal hand on his shoulder.

“Slow down there, partner. Let’s start with introductions,” Lucio looked up at the cowboy, a grin coming to his face and eyes filling with wonder. McCree let go, taking a step away, tipping his hat.

“Howdy, names McCree,” he nodded his head slightly. Lucio looked around McCree as the two older men approached, completing the circle. McCree pointed to each member in order.

“That’s Lena, or maybe you know her as Tracer,” Lena smiled, waving.

“Winston, our local scientist,” Winston bowed his head slightly, smiling a toothy grin.

“Then there is Torb-jin,” McCree started.

“its Torb _jörn_!” He corrected, crossing his arm. McCree gave a small chuckle, “’kay, Torb _jörn_. He is our engineer,” he gave the short man a wink, which was only returned with a huffed out chuckle.

“And finally, Reinhardt,” McCree finished up, motioning to the tower of a man. Reinhardt came in right at the middle of the circle across from Lucio, gazing down at him. Lucio had to crane his neck up just to look at the Germans face. His eyes went wide just looking at the group of heroes, but seeing Reinhardt earned a small gasp from him. When their eyes met, he could tell that Reinhardt was surprised with Lucio’s appearance. Was it how short he was? Was it maybe how young he was? He blushed when Reinhardt did not say anything, looking away from him quickly.

“I’ve heard so much about you guys!” He blushed even more, laughing. Reinhardt gave a small smile to the DJ. “Man, am I looking forward to working with y’all!”

“And we as well are excited,” Winston grinned, “Now, let’s get you to your room. You will be in the West hall,”

This caused Reinhardt to blink back into reality, looking away from Lucio to Winston. Reinhardt moved towards him, leaning down to whisper in his ear so only the two of them could hear.

“Winston, that’s an empty hall. Are you sure that you don’t want him in a hall with, I dunno… people of his age group?” He scratched behind his head, glancing from Lucio to Winston. Lucio didn’t notice as he was sucked into conversation with Jesse and Lena.

Winston cocked an eyebrow up, “Reinhardt, _you_ live in that hallway, it’s not empty. Besides, I thought that maybe you could do with a little bit noise down there,” Winston smirks, knowing all too well how many times Reinhardt has been found alone in the training bays. “Relax, Reinhardt. I know meeting new people can be… Hard,” He looks at him for a moment, then pushed him away slightly with a grin. Winston scooped up one of Lucio’s duffel bags and moved along.

Before Reinhardt could retort in defense, Lucio stepped into his view, looking up at him.

“Hey, Reinhardt?” He called up, smile beaming. Reinhardt stopped himself, looking down.

“Yes, hello!” He smiled. Other Overwatch members were making their way out of the bay.

“I just wanted to, uh, say hi!” he laughed, “I’ve heard a lot about you from stories,” He beamed, playing with the zipper of his hoodie. Reinhardt sighed contently, smiling warmly.

“Before you ask any questions, no. I didn’t do it alone. And yes, I really am that strong,” Reinhardt’s words caused Lucio to laugh.

“I wasn’t gonna start a “Q n’ A” just yet, man! But, uh… good to know!” Lucio nodded his head, “Yeah. That’s cool… this is so cool,” he looked around the bay again, spinning as he did so. Reinhardt looked down at him with slight amazement. He was so young, this was all so fresh to him.

“Well, you must be excited to see where you will be staying?” Reinhardt leaned on one leg, hands crossing over his chest. Lucio turned on his heel back towards Reinhardt, nodding his head vigorously yes.

“Yeah! Where is the West hall?” Lucio followed Reinhardt as he started to walk away, taking Lucio’s second duffle in one hand and hosting it over his shoulder.

“Well, this is one of the East bays, so it’s on the other side of the Watchpoint,” Reinhardt explained. “So you’ll be able to see most of the Watchpoint as we walk,”

He didn’t have to look at Lucio to feel the excitement he radiated as they walked. They passed by most of the facilities. Some training rooms, cargo hold, watch tower, and the medical bay. When they passed by, Genji was just leaving. Reinhardt forced Lucio to keep walking when the younger man watched as Genji climbed and jumped up the wall to an above walkway as if it was as easy as breathing. They passed the kitchen next, workshop, more simulation training rooms, and finally some offices as they reached the West staircase. Everything they passed by Reinhardt told a little about, answering Lucio’s questions about the Watchpoint as best as he could.

They arrived in the hall, Reinhardt setting the duffel down. It looked as if Winston has only dropped off the first duffel in the hall for Lucio to pick up, then left for his office no doubt. Reinhardt huffed a sigh of relief, wiping his brow slightly.

“Okay! Here is the west hall. Pick any room,” Reinhardt motioned down the hall. He pondered a moment, then laughed, “Well, except for 101. That is my room,”

Lucio quickly looked up to Reinhardt, eyes slightly wide, “W-wait, you live in this hall? Does anyone else?”

Reinhardt could not help but blush ever so slightly from the short man’s excitement, “Yes. Since the beginning of Overwatch I was always stationed in this hallway. And it… Used to be full, but…” Reinhardt’s voice faltered away, Lucio raised an eyebrow for a moment before realizing what must have happened.

“O-oh…” Lucio said quietly. He grabbed both duffels and dragged them across the floor until he reached room 103, which was diagonally across the hall from Reinhardt’s room. “I’ll take this one. Don’t want to disturb you too much with my music, ya know? I know it can get kinda… _Loud,_ ” Lucio laughed, looking back to the tall man. Reinhardt gave a smile, nodding.

“Its fine, I just sure hope I don’t bother you with my snoring, eh?” He laughed whole heartedly. Lucio chuckled, smiling.

They stood for a moment of silence as the echo of laughter faded away. Lucio unlocked the door, pushing it open.

“Well! See you later, man!” He waved slightly, hoisting the duffels into his room. Reinhardt waved back cheerfully before the door closed behind him.

“See you, Lucio,” Reinhardt smiled to himself.

 

He was thinking he liked this entertaining healer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Your comments and feedback are appreciated so much as I am still learning how to write properly lol.
> 
> Im not 100% sure when i will be posting next now since I did plan on posting every Tuesday. Keep an eye out! 
> 
> And, as always, again, thank you so much. Readers like you are the reason why I write.


	3. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day one of practice does not go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay firstly, Thank you for your patience. I've been busy with school starting, moving into university, starting classes, adjusting to a new life! But I didn't want to rush this chapter because I was very excited for it. So I hope you enjoy it, its a bit longer than the other two chapters!
> 
> (I hope I caught all my typos ahaha ^^" enjoy)

Today was day one of training as a team with the addition of Lucio. They had some brief warmups and adjustments to the addition and now Winston had set up a simulation mission for them all.  Across the Watchpoint, a “payload” had been stationed, and the goal was to escort it to the other side. Torbjörn, Tracer, Lucio, Genji, Winston, and Reinhardt were up first while Mercy and McCree watched from the observation decks. Once everyone was suited up and armed, they were to meet up in the central loading bay.

Torbjörn and Winston went ahead to activate the drone defense unit to begin the simulation. Reinhardt stood at the ready, rotating his shoulders inside his huge suit of armor. This was going to be a breeze, and a very good opportunity for Lucio to get some live practice in with his healing component as a team. He drummed his fingers on his large hammer as he waited, watching as Lucio and Tracer raced around the room in circles to see who was faster. Their laughter filled the air when Tracer landed on the ending spot first, which was on top of the table.

“Ha! I win!” She proclaimed victoriously, Lucio screeched to a halt with his roller blades.

“What? Aw, that’s bull. I’ll get you next time, Tr--Lena,” He chuckled, catching his breath. Tracer spun one of her pistols around her finger.

“The day you’re faster than me will be the day pigs fly,” She giggled, stepping down from the table. At that moment, Athena’s voice came over the intercom system.

“Winston and Torbjörn are in-route back here. Once you are all ready, the simulation will begin,” her calm voice informed them all. When her voice faded away, Genji jumped down from the ceiling, landing in near silence against the floor to join Lena and Lucio.

“You know, Lucio. I could give you some tips on how to outrace her,” He placed a hand on Lucio’s shoulder, startling him. Lucio gave a bright smile.

“Maybe we will have time after this. I’d love to get some practice in with you, man!” It was subtle, but Reinhardt could see that Lucio was blushing. He smiled to himself, the young one was glowing with fresh light and warmth that everyone seemed to be eating up. The three of them continued to chat for a bit, giving Lucio tips on this sort of simulation.

“You don’t have to worry too much, Lucio-“

“Im _not_ worried!”

“Yeah you are, just make sure that everyone’s not on the brink of death and it should be fine. We will do the rest,” Genji assured, a bit of amusement was in his voice “You probably won’t even need to touch the payload, this will be easy,”

“Your team will cover you if you get hurt, too. Oh, and stick by Winston or Reinhardt if you get in trouble!” Lena added with a smile.

“The tips are appreciated, guys. But really, I’m fine. I’ve done stuff like this before no sweat!” Lucio smiled, waving a playful hand at the other two. Lena rolled her eyes.

“Everyone is nervous on their first run, its okay to be. But if you’re going to be stubborn and not admit it, then fine,” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She giggled when Lucio looked apologetic, stammering out his words.

“I-I didn’t mean to be rude-!” Lucio started, looking at the door as Winston and Torbjörn walked in. He sighed, smiling warmly, “I’ll try my best, Thank you,”

Lena smiled, Genji nodded his head approvingly.

“Is everyone ready?” Winston called, a cheerful grin on his face. Torbjörn followed behind him, dressed in his armor as well. He was wearing a different heavily-modified prosthetic instead of the one he wore casually. It looked much more like a weapon than a prosthetic.

Everyone in the room nodded in confirmation of being ready. The smile Winston had was a mix of pride and excitement.

“Well then, everyone in position!” Winston called, and they all started to move. Reinhardt took a deep breath, he could not help but chuckle as Lucio chose to take his spot next to him. It reminded him of when he stayed by his side all day when Lucio first arrived.

“You know, you don’t have to stick by only me, right?” Reinhardt called down to him jokingly. Lucio looked up, surprised by the sudden words.

“I-I know! But who doesn’t want to stand behind a shield like yours?” Lucio laughed. Reinhardt’s smile softened, he could tell Lucio was nervous, if only just a little.

“Whatever makes you comfortable, _Freund,_ ” Reinhardt chuckled, turning back to the door, prepared to put up his shield immediately.

Athena’s countdown started above their heads.

“Five. Four. Three. Two. One,”

The doors opened. The simulation has begun.

~

They were about halfway through the checkpoint. Reinhardt stayed on the payload, making sure it continued to move and was defended. Torbjörn had one of his turrets set up on the payload, which also did a great job of defending against the drones if any got past Winston, Genji and Lena, who took to going slightly ahead of the payload to try and eliminate threats before the payload passed through. Lucio had been very busy at first, zipping back and forth between members to make sure that nobody’s simulation shields were indicating a dangerous level. But with the payload now being in the cargo hold and not out in the open it was harder for Lucio to keep track of everybody. He was skating along the walls, between crates, faster and faster to wherever he needed to be and it was slightly dizzying.

They had just gotten around another turn when Lucio received indication of both Genji and Winston needing healing. Not much, but enough that the two of them may be in pain. Lucio looked around him, unsure of where the two of them where. He jumped up the wall, skating along until he was high enough to see the two of them, attacking a small group of drones. He looked around at his environment, if he jumped across and along the wall he could reach them and quickly heal them.

He readied his weapon, adjusting his Sonic Amplifier to blast the music once he landed. He readied himself, jumping to the next wall and around, Genji and Winston were in sight, he was about to jump down-

“TARGET AQUIRED.” He barely heard the metallic voice from the opposite walkway, but it would not have mattered if he had heard it or not as red hot shots were fired his way, blasting against Lucio’s legs. He cried out in surprise, his boots losing their grip on the wall. He fell to the ground, the droids gunfire continued to zip past his ears the entire way down. He landed on the ground with a boom, quite literally. His Sonic Amplifier sent out a large and loud blast upon impact with the ground. The shockwave sent the two large cargo crates he had landed behind spiraling into the air, tumbling out and away from Lucio’s position towards where Winston and Genji now stood. Lucio struggled to sit up, cupping his hand to his mouth.

“Guys! Look out!” Lucio’s voice was panicked as he shouted out. His leg cages were dead, making Lucio immobile. Winston turned around first, eyes going from Lucio up to the cargo boxes hurtling down towards him quickly. The gorilla’s eyes went wide, hands fumbling for a moment before quickly throwing his shield down around himself and Genji, who had just turned around and looked himself to give a cry in shock. The shield went up without a moment to spare, the boxes bounced off as if they were nothing.

The echo of the boom and the boxes seemed to make everyone pause, including the drones. Lucio was breathing heavily, now looking down at his leg cages to try and make them turn online again. _This has happened before, it’s okay, you can do this…_

“Athena, pause the simulation!” Winston’s voice could be heard echoing over the intercom.

“Right away, Winston,” Athena’s calm voice replied, a moment later all the drone lights faded, humming offline.

“Lucio!” Reinhardt’s voice boomed into his ears, Lucio cringed inwardly, fingers shaky and fumbling with the tiny cables in his leg cages. The man’s heavy footsteps came closer and closer, hammer clattering against the ground next to Lucio. Reinhardt knelt down in front of him just as Lucio’s shaky fingers managed to get the cages turned back online.

“Lucio? Are you okay?” Reinhardt shouted through his helmet, Lucio looked up from his legs, hands still shaking. He nodded his head yes.

“I saw you fall, and the blast shook everything! Did you get hurt?” The larger man continued to basically shout at him, Lucio started to lift himself off the floor slowly, smiling nervously.

“I-I’m fine. Just, you know… lost my balance, no biggie,” Lucio brushed off his torso, allowing Reinhardt to help him up off of the ground the rest of the way. He could not see Reinhardt’s face through the helmet, but he could only imagine the concerned look that he was giving him now.

“No biggie?” Torbjörn voice cracked through to Lucio’s ear. The young man looked up, the rest of the team had circled around, Mercy and McCree were also running towards them. Most to all of them looked at Lucio with concern and worry, but Torbjörn stood with his arm crossed, eyebrows knit together in an aggressive fashion.

“Now Torbjörn, it was just a mistake anyone could have made on their first day,” Reinhardt replied, reaching up with one hand to remove his helmet, shaking his hair out slightly once it was off.

“A mistake is right! A mistake that could have cost the lives of two of his team mates, and on his first run through no less!” the stout man continued, pointing his large hook hand at Lucio. This made Lucio ball his hand into a fist.

“Hey, I’m sorry, what else do you want from me?” Lucio took a step forward, but it was rocky, losing his footing slightly. Reinhardt and Lena were quick to catch, Lena coming up to his side while Reinhardt placed a hand on his back.

“What do I want from you? To act like your serious!” Lucio was about to retort, but Torbjörn continued, “You were reckless, you were loud, and you were not watching yer’ own back! You put yourself in a position where your team could not help you, going off on yer’ own! You acted like this was a game,”

Lucio grit his teeth together, holding his tongue. Hundreds of retorts played through his brain, words to defend himself, but his entire body felt hot, all the words jumbling up into a storm. None of what he thought would have come out correctly if he tried, so he remained silent.

“This ain’t no solo league, and there ain’t gonna be someone there to watch your back all the time! You can’t go running off willy nilly, jumping on walls like a tree frog-“

“Torbjörn…” Winston’s tone was warning him, but Torbjörn took it as a challenge.

“Your mistake not only could have cost lives, it could have cost supplies, money… This ain’t one of your freedom marches, and it sure as hell ain’t one of your little concerts. Working like a team here reflects how we will when official missions do come along,” Torbjörn eyes wandered down to Lucio’s leg cages, one of them giving a small spark, “Hell, your own tech is short circuiting now! Bet it’s broken,” Torbjörn gestured to Lucio’s legs. This caused Lucio’s cheeks to burn hot.

“You don’t know _anything_ about my tech, grandpa!” Lucio shouted, anger bubbling up and over now. All eyes were on Lucio before returning back to Torbjörn.

“Oh yeah? Well I _do_ know it ain’t gonna last much longer if its _unexperienced_ , _sloppy owner_ keeps acting so reckless!”

“Torbjörn!” Reinhardt shouted, stepping between the pair. He was a tower in comparison to the two of them. His voice sounded angry, a growl under his words. “Stop. Now,” His voice had finality. Torbjörn sighed, waving his hand up dismissively.

“Bah!” Torbjörn turned and walked away, “I just hope you step it up for the next simulation, _DJ!_ ”

The team was silent, Lucio’s arms were shaking in anger. Reinhardt sighed, turning back to the smaller man.

“Lucio…. Lucio-!?” Before much else could be said, Lucio pushed past Reinhardt and half skated, half ran away into the Watchpoint.

Everyone seemed to shift on their feet awkwardly. Winston sighed, pushing his glasses further up on his nose.

“Lets… Call that a day for training, everyone, I’ll see you all at dinner,”

Winston walked away first, and slowly everyone else dispersed. Reinhardt and Lena shared a look before she, too, blinked away. Reinhardt picked up his hammer before making his way to the barracks to change out of his armor.

~

Reinhardt was cooking up something real special for everyone. Chicken Alfredo with green beans, beer and wine also provided. On the Watchpoint they did not have opportunity to go to the grocery store very often, but Reinhardt had done the shopping the past weekend and finally unveiled the bottles of beer and wine he had been hiding from everyone, saving it for when he felt everyone needed it.

The kitchen smelled heavenly of pasta sauce and quickly filled with tipsy laughs. Reinhardt, too, had a couple beers but they did not have a strong effect on him. “Nothing like the beers back home!” He would say, as he watched his comrades become tipsy from less than what he drank himself. The mood had lightened considerably since the practice earlier, but Lucio had not arrived to dinner.

Reinhardt sat on the couch, watching Lena and Genji play a two player game and failing miserably. Genji, who chose not to drink, could not play due to the fact he was laughing to hard at Lena, who was too drunk to be doing anything well right now. Suddenly McCree slumped on the couch next to Reinhardt, leaning against him. He had lost his hat, Reinhardt glanced over his shoulder to see Mercy had it perched on her head.

“Hey, Reinhardt…” McCree drawled out, sipping from what Reinhardt could only guess was his 5th bottle.

“Evening, cow man!” he laughed at him, patting McCree’s head as he readjusted himself on Reinhardt’s shoulder.

“Y’know how…. Torby… was bein’ a dyick er’ler?” McCree slurred, gazing up at Reinhardt.  Reinhardt nodded his head in confirmation.

“Weeell…. Youngin ain’ heer… maybe you sho’ go talk tew im er… somethin’,” McCree continued, his smoky grey eyes were foggy from alcohol, but the words had sincerity to them.

“Me? Nah… He wouldn’t find comfort in an old man like me. Besides, he may just want his privacy…” Reinhardt chuckled, looking away from the cowboy leaning heavily against him. McCree reached up with his hand, pulling Reinhardt’s faces to look at him straight.

“No. I mean it. Boy likes ya’, man,” McCree hiccupped, “Ev’n if all ov’us wer’ sober? He’d wanna talk ta yew…” McCree released Reinhardt’s face, hand sliding down his chest slowly, now giving the large man a big hug.

“Go to the lil’ frog man, damn…” he sighed, “and bring sum’er’yer pasta…. Shits good…” McCree shoved himself off of Reinhardt, now sprawled across the couch. Reinhardt considered all that McCree said, then quickly stood up. He gave McCree one last glance, spotting that charming, southern grin on his face.

~ ~ ~

Reinhardt knocked upon Lucio’s door lightly, a bottle of water and a bottle of beer tucked between his arm and his body, a bowl of pasta in the other.

“Lucio? Are you in there?” Reinhardt called, bringing his ear closer to the door. He could hear music softly playing from the inside of the room.  “I know you may be upset about earlier, but… that is no reason not to eat,”

No response was given to Reinhardt. He stiffened up his back, Reinhardt was always up for a challenge. He knocked on the door again, more firmly.

“Lucio, I’m coming in,” He called, before turning the nob of the door. It was unlocked.

Reinhardt poked his head in first, peering through the crack. From what he could see Lucio had put up a few posters. Various musical artists, some with Lucio himself on them, A few movie posters, and one with a big pink bunny logo with white letters under that spelled “D.Va”. On the ground were the leg cages he wore during the simulation earlier, encircled by various tools. Leaning against his bed were dark green prosthetic leg attachments from the knee down. A Brazilian flag also hung over Lucio’s bed, where he sat.

Lucio was in a white tank top and green shorts, dreadlocks loose and hanging down his shoulders. Fitted over his ears were a pair of large headphones. His head bobbed and his thighs moved slightly to whatever rhythm he was listening to, but otherwise he looked at peace. The ends of his legs were heavily scarred and rough looking in comparison to the rest of the smooth skin of his legs. Reinhardt’s eyes went wide at the sight, he felt like he had seen something he was not supposed to, like walking in on someone naked, but yet it was hard for him to look away. He was about to just back up and leave, maybe leave the food outside and slip a note under the door when Lucio’s eyes slowly started to open.

The brief seconds of eye contact that they shared felt like minutes, until Lucio yelped in surprise, grabbing a blanket on his bed and covering his body. Reinhardt jumped in shock, backing out of the room, standing with his back to the wall, facing away from the door. Words already were tripping out of his mouth.

“My apologies, L-Lucio! I-I didn’t know if you were there, o-or if you were asleep, but I tried knocking and you didn’t say anything. I brought food because…. Well, I noticed, I mean… we all noticed, but I did, too, noticed you d-didn’t come for dinner, a-and-!” Reinhardt yelled to Lucio from outside the door, he could feel his face burn from embarrassment. He could hear Lucio stumbling in his own room, “S-so I wanted to check, _ja?_ C-Check on you…” Reinhardt stood for a moment of silence, no sound came from Lucio. Reinhardt sighed, looking down at the plate of food he brought him. He shook his head at himself.

“You can come in, Reinhardt,” Lucio’s voice was quiet, small, he barely heard it. Reinhardt turned to the door again, Lucio was standing in the doorway. He had put on his prosthetics while Reinhardt was yammering away. Lucio looked up at Reinhardt, he was obviously embarrassed as well but he motioned for Reinhardt to come in again, offering a small smile. Reinhardt nodded his head in understanding, following the smaller man in.

They both sat down on Lucio’s bed. Lucio taking a seat on one end, Reinhardt sitting on the opposite end, causing the bed to creak and sink lower than it had before. He set the bowl of food and bottles in the space between them.

“There, for you. You will need your strength in the days to come,” Reinhardt put simply, folding his hands in his lap “… And a little extra, if you want to unwind,” He chuckled, but Lucio didn’t move to touch the food, he continued to stare down at his feet, his fingers nervously fiddling with his bedsheets. Reinhardt looked him up and down before he sighed, what was he supposed to do? Reinhardt thought for a moment, let the silence be for a few moments before rotating his neck around, smiling.

“You know, I’ve made some mistakes before too, Lucio,” He kept Lucio in his sight with a sideways eye, watching as Lucio looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Reinhardt nodded his head in confirmation, “Yep. I used to be a little bit of a thick skull back in my training days,” he chuckled slightly at himself, “Now, let’s see…. Oh, there was one time I set fire to my bunk in the German military. Ha, I had to do extra laps every day and sleep on the floor for a month!”

Lucio looked up at him fully, a small smile poking at his lips, amused and curious. Reinhardt smirked at him, it was working.

“And… oh! One time, I accidentally threw a flash bang right into the woman’s showers. Oh… Amari really didn’t like that one…” He snickered, running a hand through his hair. Lucio crossed his arms, a smirk across his lips.

“Was it really an accident?” He questioned, his eyes narrowed, searching for the truth. As Reinhardt studied his expression, it reminded him of the same look Ana Amari had given Reinhardt when she approached him about the incident.

“Yes!” He insisted, resting both hands on his thighs, “Gabe gave me the dumb thing already pulled, so I threw it as far as I could! Little did I know that I threw it into the ladies shower building…?” Reinhardt cheeks blushed slightly pink as Lucio laughed, “Oh… my portions got cut in half for a week because of that incident.”

“And…. Another time! During a simulation, goodness… I barely remember what happened, because I got knocked out cold,” he looked at Lucio, he had succeeded in capturing the younger man’s attention. Reinhardt grinned, and continued, “Apparently, I had hit a drone aside right into my captain, Captain Amari, right as _she_ was throwing her sleep grenade. Little thing hit me square in the back of the head, and I was out for the rest of the simulation. They almost failed without someone defending them,” Reinhardt chuckled, Lucio sunk into his seat.

“Well… Didn’t you feel bad about it?” Lucio’s voice had gone quiet again, Reinhardt turned to him again, smiling warmly.

“Oh Yes! I did. I felt like I failed my team because of an action I had done so carelessly. It caused my captain to perform a big mistake, it caused my team to have to pull my dead weight along as well, I was very embarrassed,” Reinhardt nodded his head slowly as he spoke. Lucio looked back down at his feet as he spoke, twiddling his thumbs together.

“Oh,” Reinhardt barely heard Lucio whisper, it was as soft as a sigh. Reinhardt leaned towards Lucio slightly, smiling, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“But I didn’t let it stop me. I learned from each of my mistakes, and kept going. And that is what you will have to learn how to do, Lucio,” Reinhardt watched as Lucio looked back up at him, his dark brown eyes seemed to be filling with a new light, ever so slightly. Reinhardt smiled wide, poking Lucio in the chest.

“All the great heroes of this world have make mistakes, but _strength_ … Strength is determined by if they can pick themselves back up again and move on, Lucio,” Reinhardt moved away again, picking himself up off the bed. “You have a good heart, a good soul. _Lassen Sie sich nicht es zu verschwenden,_ ” He stretched his arms out and down his sides, rotating his shoulders slightly. Reinhardt looked over his shoulder at Lucio, who was picking up the fork and bowl. The smaller man stared at the food for a moment before looking back up.

“Could you stay… for a little while longer? Uh, If you can… I don’t wanna eat alone, y’know?” Lucio gave a small, nervous grin. This was not the Lucio boasting with confidence from earlier that day. This was not him putting on a show, and this was not the young man so angry he stormed away as fast as he could. This was Lucio, simple and true. The older man smiled, nodding his head yes, turning back around and sitting on the floor in front of Lucio.

“Of course, _freund._ Take as long as you need,” Reinhardt smiled contently, picking up a small plush frog from the floor and placed it on his knee. It appeared to be sitting, looking up at Lucio.

“Do you mind if I play some tunes?” Lucio pointed his fork at Reinhardt, who waved his hand dismissively.

“Not at all, play anything you like,” he chuckled lightly, eyes wandering around Lucio’s room. If he couldn’t guess before, it was very clear that Lucio’s favorite color and animal was green and frogs. Green and frog décor covered the room. A few pictures were posted on his wall as well, which included nameless faces with a frog-faced entertainer, perhaps which was Lucio? He could only guess as soft music started to play. Drums playing a jazzy, relaxed beat with the accompaniment of a piano and bass, a flute chimed into the jazzy tune next, making the music light and airy before the singer joined last to sing their song. Reinhardt though he recognized the language as Castilian Spanish, the Spanish language used in most of Spain. Reinhardt knew some, but not enough to hold a conversation. He soon realized it was, instead, Portuguese. He should have guessed sooner, Portuguese was the national language of where Lucio was from. But Reinhardt had yet to hear the young man speak it at all. The song continued, and Reinhardt could tell that this was a very old song. Even in his youth, he had heard the song only on the radio stations for old, classic hits of the previous century. The 1960’s and 1970’s stations, the real oldies, even older for someone like Lucio.

“The Girl from Ipanema,” Reinhardt hummed along finally, looking up at Lucio. The young man gave him a surprised smile, eyes lighting up.

“Yeah! Hah, I didn’t think that anyone here would know it,” Lucio laughed, swallowing down his bite of food as he did so.

“This is old, even for me. Where did _you_ hear it?” Reinhardt chuckled, linking his fingers together.

“Well, it’s a classic in Brazil… Music is timeless, it lives on through the people. This one…. It’s really important to my people, I suppose. They never let it die,” He smiled to himself as the song ended and the next track began. Electronic music, slow and low with a heavy bass line. Lucio bobbed his head to the rhythm of the new song, setting aside his empty bowl.

“Who made the food?” Lucio chimed, swinging his prosthetic legs off the side of the bed slightly.

“You’re looking at him!” Reinhardt laughed, Lucio’s smile stretched from ear to ear, slapping his knee.

“No way, you can cook? Man, we should cook together some time. I bet I could teach you a thing or too,” Lucio smirked playfully at Reinhardt, laughing.

“And I bet the same to you!” Reinhardt pointed at Lucio, who laughed. It was a light, wholesome laugh. Reinhardt could not help but smile as he heard it. It was so young, so pure.

The conversations continued, talking about cooking, then of their home towns, a few jokes were shared as well. They talked about Overwatch, about a couple of the other members and the next newest recruit to be coming, Zenyatta.  Reinhardt shared all he knew about the omnic, but advised Lucio to ask Genji about him. They talked about the Watchpoint, and then about Lucio’s home as well. Lucio explained to Reinhardt what had happened in Brazil, with the invasion of the Vishkar Corporation in low income sections. How they promised to make it all better, but then the police and strict rules started to appear.

“Inspiring hope, joy, peace, even for only a moment. That’s what I wanted my music to do. And that’s what it did. I got my hands on some Vishkar tech and made my Sonic Amplifier…. And spreading the music got a little easier. It could actually _heal_ the damage, not just mentally, but _physically_ …” Lucio reflected on the past with a bittersweet smile, but his hands came to rest on his knees again, eyes closing.

“But… It couldn’t heal all wounds,”

Reinhardt gazed at the prosthetics, then back up to Lucio’s face. His expression was melancholy. Reinhardt moved himself across the floor closer to Lucio.

“Lucio, you do not have to tell me if you do not wish to. You do not owe me any story,” Reinhardt assured, gingerly placing a hand on top of the younger mans upon his knee. Lucio’s eyes opened again, looking to Reinhardt. A sad smile came to his lips.

“We were… in one of the areas that had yet to be redeveloped. I was playing some of my music on a stereo for the people in the home, there was maybe… 10, 15 people. We were all young, having fun. I turned up the music. I… I don’t know how it happened, I was showing someone the Sonic Amplifier. They set off a boom, like the one…. Like the one during training,” Lucio’s voice faded away, his hand balling into a fist under Reinhardt’s palm as he looked down, looked away from him. Reinhardt looked down, bringing his hand around the smaller man’s hand, rubbing the top slowly with his thumb.

“You don’t have to continue…” Reinhardt whispered to him, Lucio looked back to Reinhardt, taking a deep breath.

“The building… started to collapse. I managed to save everyone, push them out but… I got caught in the rubble…” His voice was quiet, slightly broken, “I lost my legs because of a blast my Sonic Amplifier caused… I never wanted that to happen again, people be in danger because of me. That’s why…. That’s why I got so upset today,”

Reinhardt could only look at the man before him, he continued to rub his hand, and his other remained in his own lap.

“And nobody knows…. Well, Winston knows. And Mercy, since I had to have a physical, so she knows… but otherwise nobody on the team knows,” Lucio finished, looking down at Reinhardt. “Will… Will you tell anyone?”

“No. Unless you want me to, your secret is safe,” Reinhardt smiled warmly. Lucio sighed in relief.

“Thank you. Thank you for listening, thank you for th-the meal, thank you for talking, just,” Lucio gave a deep, long sigh, smiling warmly “You’re pretty cool, Reinhardt. Thank you,”

Reinhardt could not help but blush at the compliment, “Oh, well. I try my best,” Reinhardt chuckled softly. He realized he was still holding onto Lucio, and thus promptly released his hand. Lucio brought his hand back into his stomach, the two stared at each other for a moment before laughing. Hearty, full, belly laughs. Lucio fell back onto his bed, Reinhardt curled inward in his seat. They laughed for a solid minute before the fit of giggles passed. Reinhardt stood, brushing himself off. Lucio stood as well, the bottle of beer was in his hand, which had been left unopened.

“Well, I best be going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” Reinhardt asked, moving towards the door.

“Yeah! What time do you get up?” Lucio questioned in return, setting the beer on his desk.

“Oh… six, seven hundred hours?” Reinhardt shrugged his shoulders, but once he looked back to Lucio it looked like a foul smell had passed his nose.

“So early, man! Gross!” Lucio giggled slightly, “Don’t wake me up when you do, aight?”

Reinhardt chuckled, moving out the door to close it behind him, “Alright. I promise,”

“Good!”

“ _Guten nacht_ , Lucio,” He closed the door slowly.

“Night, Reinhardt!” Lucio called right before it shut.

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooo!!!
> 
> Kudos are always appreciated, and Comments are appreciated and loved to the max!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hopefully have another chapter for you next week!
> 
> If any of the German is incorrect, please tell me!!


	4. Pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast is served.
> 
> (sorry this is kinda a short chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter!? On time?! Wow, this is a-mei-zing!!!! Aaaaaaaaaah....
> 
> Thank you for reading, again! I hope you are enjoying this. Leave a comment if there is anything in particular you want to see, critique, or just wanna say hello! 
> 
> Quick note! All German (and eventual Portuguese + any other languages) phrases I will italicize. There is one word in this chapter that means "What?". the letter "W" in German has a sound more similar to the English "V", I just wanted to point that out before you read so that there is no confusion! 
> 
> also this chapter was going to be probably two to three times longer than it is, but I just didn't have time to write everything. But it will all come in later chapters, do not worry! 
> 
> But without further ado, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

_“This is all YOUR fault!”_

_Reinhardt knelt on his knees, bloody and bruised before the form of Gabriel Reyes._

_“Jack and I are dead because of you!” His voice continued to sneer, in his hand fire burned bright before he sent it at the ground right in front of Reinhardt, fire licked at his legs and body. He cried out in pain._

_“I couldn’t save you, there was nothing I could do!” Reinhardt groaned, trying to crawl away from the fire. His hands were scorched black, he yelled out in agony. “I tried, we all did, Gabriel-” He hissed inwardly in pain._

_Gabriel stood with this arms crossed over his chest, his expression only held rage for the older man before him. The scene around them was black and smoky, the air becoming harder to breath, Reinhardt almost felt like he was choking. From behind Gabriel, the form of Jack Morrison came forward. His expression was heartbroken, his clothing in tatters._

_“Why? Why didn’t you come back for me, Reinhardt?” His voice called out to him, the fire blazed brighter and hotter around Reinhardt. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He coughed out smoke._

_“I tried, I tried, I tried-!” He started,_

_“You didn’t try hard enough!” Gabriel spat back. Reinhardt retracted inwardly, away from Gabriel._

_“But I would have died, too!” Reinhardt sobbed, allowing the fire to consume his lower body. It stung and blistered his skin, tears streamed down his face._

_“You could have saved us,” They both said together, anger from one voice, sadness from the other, “You could have done more,”_

_“Stop this! Stop this nightmare!” Reinhardt pleaded, he covered his eyes with his burning hands, sobbing in sorrow. Heavy boots came forward, the click of a shotgun echoed. Reinhardt removed his hands quickly, eyes coming up to look down the barrel of Gabriel’s shotgun._

_“Lights out, old man,” Reyes growled, a predatory grin on his face. Sick pleasure was in his eyes._

_There was a bang. It all went dark._

_~ ~ ~_

“No!” Reinhardt shot up, hand coming up to his forehead. He panted and gasped, hands feeling his body, making sure it was there, it was alive. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his index finger and thumb, tears were welling there. His body was still shaking lightly, heart rate fast and thumping hard against his chest. He wiped his eyes with his wrist.

“Well… that was a new one,” Reinhardt breathed out, silent as he swung himself off the bed, his knee joints cracking as he stood. He grunted softly, stretching his arms up and above his head. His body felt tired, muscles sore and tight, as if he had slept on the hard floor. His arms and legs still had a ghost feeling of the burns they had suffered in his dream, he rubbed his hands gently together, calming his racing heart.

Reinhardt dressed quickly in a simple pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. He checked his clock, 0730 hours. Later than he normally slept, but still quite early. As he gazed into the mirror he only stared at his reflection. He looked just as strong and well-built as yesterday, yet he felt so tired, almost disconnected with his physical form. Sighing, he stepped out of his room quietly, careful to make sure that his door did not close too quickly and cause a loud sound. He gazed over to Lucio’s room, the dark hallway allowed the light coming from under the door to be visible. Reinhardt raised an eyebrow, but turned and walked away down the hall.

Reinhardt’s mind was still swimming from his dream. He had not dreamed of those two in many years, not since their funerals. To say that both were good men would be questionable, but they were both his friends. Strong fighters, strong leaders and respectable men. Reinhardt’s own voice, panicked and scared from the dream, echoed in his head.

_‘I tried, I tried, I tried-!’_

“Reinhardt?”

Reinhardt jumped slightly where he stood on the stairs leading down and out of the hall. He turned, looking back up to the top of the stairs where Lucio stood not a moment before. Reinhardt gave the young man a tired smile, waving. Looking at him, all the voices faded from his mind.

“Ah, good morning Lucio. Did I wake you?” He called as Lucio made his way down the stairs towards Reinhardt. He wore a lime green hoodie, sweatpants and nice sneakers. His dreadlocks were pulled up into a pony tail. In an outfit like this, you couldn’t tell that he had prosthetics at all. Lucio smiled warmly up to Reinhardt as he approached.

“Nah, you didn’t. I, uh… wanted to get a head start on the day, y’know!” Lucio shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Today Winston and I are going to do some work on my tech. Said he had some ideas to improve it,” Lucio rocked back and forth on his feet. Reinhardt nodded in understanding.

“That sounds great, Lucio!” He continued to walk, Lucio followed him quickly, “Anything to improve one’s performance is great to hear,”

“Haha, yeah,” Lucio nodded his head in agreement. They walked in silence for a minute, Lucio following Reinhardt to wherever Reinhardt was going. Finally, Lucio broke the silence.

“You don’t look to good, Reinhardt,” He slowed his pace, looking up to him in concern.

Reinhardt slowed as well until both of them stopped. At first, he chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

“I know I’m not the most handsome guy, but geez, a tad harsh?” He chuckled. Lucio blushed, stammering out his words.

“T-That’s not what I meant! I mean…” he gazed up at him, worried, “You don’t look like you slept very well, is everything cool?”

“Cool?”

“Yeah, cool. Like, is everything alright? Are you good? Everything check out?”

Reinhardt looked down at the younger man. He finally sighed, grinning slightly.

“That obvious, huh?”

“I’m a medic, I’m supposed to notice these things. You gotta take care of yourself,” Lucio replied in all seriousness. Reinhardt nodded his head in response, Lucio almost sounded like Angela in this moment. But it was softer, less professional. More on a personal level.

“Well… Yes, I didn’t sleep very well last night. Just a bad dream, you don’t have to worry about it,” He explained. When the worried expression on Lucio’s face did not fade, Reinhardt punched the smaller man’s shoulder lightly, grinning.

“I appreciate you keeping an eye out, _freund,_ but everyone gets a bad dream every now and again. I’m fine!” He gave a big smile, puffing his chest out slightly. Lucio finally cracked, giving a light laugh.

“Alright, alright, don’t start a gun show, Reinhardt,” he snickered, walking past him with a blush. Reinhardt scoffed.

“What!? Do you not like my guns?” He bellowed as he followed, laughter in his words. He flexed his arms above his head behind Lucio, being sure to exaggerate his sounds of triumph to catch his attention. Lucio could not help but glance over his shoulder to watch the older man act in such a silly manner. Spinning on his toe to walk backward, Lucio flexed his own arms in a similar large and extravagant manner. Reinhardt laughed aloud before they returned to walking together at a normal pace, side by side, giggles echoing from them through the Watchpoint.

The two of them made their way to the kitchen, Reinhardt flicking on the light and walking in comfortably. Lucio tip-toed in, watching as Reinhardt pulled out milk, whistling to himself. Lucio stood next to Reinhardt at the counter, watching as he poured himself a glass.

“Hungry?” Reinhardt asked, handing Lucio the glass.

“Oh! Yeah,” He took the glass gingerly, sipping it. “What do you want?”

“What do _you_ want?” Reinhardt replied, the look in his eye playful.

Lucio looked down into his glass, thinking for a moment. “Hmm… Pancakes?”

Reinhardt smiled, nodding his head and clapping his hands together. “Okay, Pancakes!”

The two of them started to move. Grabbing ingredients from around the kitchen. Lucio raided the refrigerator for milk, butter and eggs while Reinhardt searched the cabinets for flour, sugar and other various dry ingredients, as well as bowls and mixing tools. The two of them worked together playfully, Reinhardt holding ingredients out of Lucio’s reach, Lucio adding ingredients before Reinhardt was ready for them and racing around the room to keep the eggs away. As Lucio mixed, Reinhardt pulled out a skillet to be laid on top of the stove. At some point Lucio was successful in placing 3 flour handprints on Reinhardt’s back without him even realizing it, until Lucio couldn’t hold his laughter any longer. The larger man simply rolled his eye, trapping Lucio between the counter and his own body to place a flour handprint on his head. Once satisfied, he released Lucio and moved to the mixing bowl, ready to start cooking.

“Wait wait wait, Rein! Do we have any Vanilla, or uh… Cinnamon?” Lucio stopped Reinhardt from pouring the batter onto the skillet, brushing flour off of his head.

“Vanilla and Cinnamon…” Reinhardt scratched his beard, getting flour on his face in the process. He opened a few cabinets, searching through the containers of ingredients available. Finally he placed a container of powdered cinnamon and a bottle of vanilla extract on the counter in front of Lucio.

Lucio quickly scooped up the ingredients, moving to add them to the batter. Reinhardt watched over the smaller man’s shoulder as he did so.

“What are you doing? That was not part of the recipe,” Reinhardt questioned as the vanilla was added. Lucio looked up and over, smiling

“You gotta go off script once in a while!” Lucio laughed, handing Reinhardt the cinnamon container, “Here! You add some,”

Reinhardt took the container which a surprising amount of shyness, sprinkling the spice in until he was satisfied, Lucio stirred the mixture as he did so, watching him. Reinhardt looked to Lucio for approval, which made the younger man laugh.

“Alright, alright. We’re done! Time to start cooking!” Lucio took the bowl and quickly slipped out from under Reinhardt, turning up the heat on the stove. Reinhardt stepped back, allowing Lucio to take over the cooking portion.

“Oh, these are going to be so good!” Lucio bounced on his feet, pouring a few pancakes out onto the skillet. Reinhardt took a seat at the bar facing the stove top, watching as Lucio tended to the food in front of him. The sweet smell of pancakes soon filled the air, Reinhardt took a deep breath and sighed out pleasantly. He was not used to so much social interaction so early in the morning as he was usually the only one awake at this time. With Lucio, he seemed so eager to take on the day with both feet running.

Reinhardt watched quietly as Lucio cooked. The younger man humming to himself under his breath, swaying his hips and tapping the spatula upon the counter to his own internal beat. The way he danced, hummed, every movement so natural yet it still looked like a perfected performance to Lucio’s natural rhythm, though it was only mindless fun to making pancakes. Reinhardt smiled to himself, tapping his fingers on the counter to match Lucio’s dance rhythm, his brain allowing him to zone out.

Reinhardt was brought back when his watch-thinga-ma-jig gave a loud _ping_ sound. He blinked his eyes, looking down to his wrist to tap the screen, a message from Winston projected out in front of him.

-To all members of Overwatch

-Today, at approximately 1500 hours, The Omnic Monk Zenyatta will be arriving.

-Genji will be giving him a tour around the Watchpoint through the afternoon and evening.

-If you see the two of them, feel free to say hello. Zenyatta looks forward to getting to know all members of Overwatch, and friends of Genji.

\- Winston

Reinhardt closed the e-mail with another light tap, eyes returning to Lucio who was looking at him, a plate of pancakes in his hand.

“What was that?” Lucio asked, placing the plate in front of Reinhardt.

“Oh, just a message. The Omnic is arriving today,” Reinhardt explained, pulling the plate closer to him. He licked his lips slightly, “They smell delicious! Do you not want the first one?”

Lucio waved the spatula at Reinhardt, “Nah, don’t worry about it. Second batch is almost ready,” Lucio turned back to the skillet. “Zenyatta, eh? Wonder what he will be like,”

“Being an Omnic monk, I would have to guess… Serene, if anything,” Reinhardt pondered, taking a bite of pancake, “I believe he was part of the same group of Monks as that Mondatta, remember him?”

Lucio looked at Reinhardt, then back down at the skillet.

“Yeah… I remember him. He was a good guy, shame what happened to him,”

Reinhardt could hear the sadness in Lucio’s words, and decided to drop the topic. He ate slowly, not wanting to scarf down his food when Lucio was still cooking. Finally Lucio finished a stack for himself, turning the heat off and setting aside the extra batter. He took his plate and moved around the counter to sit next to Reinhardt at the bar, having to jump slightly to get onto the bar stool.

“What was it you were humming earlier?” Reinhardt questioned, cutting a slice of pancake with his fork.

“Oh! Hah, uh… Just a tune I’m working on for my next album, y’know,” he replied bashfully, scratching the back of his head, “I’m not sure how good it is though, might scrap it and start the song over,”

“Well, I thought it sounded nice,” Reinhardt said simply, holding back a pleased grin when he caused the smaller man to blush and smile.

They ate in a calm silence, occasionally speaking but never too much. Perhaps the early morning tiredness had finally caught up to them, or they were too busy eating their food. Reinhardt complemented Lucio’s cooking skill, which earned him a proud, over exaggerated bow from Lucio.

But without fail other members of Overwatch eventually filed into the kitchen, led by the smell of pancakes. McCree came in first, greeting the two of them with a drowsy “Howdy,” before he took the batter and started making pancakes for himself. Lena came in next, smiling and chipper as always in the morning, quickly accompanying McCree at the skillet to finish off the pancake batter. Once the two of them were done eating, Reinhardt scooped up both of their dishes before Lucio could protest.

“Ah ah ah! You cooked, I clean,” Reinhardt insisted when Lucio tried to take his plate back, which was now being held way out of reach. Lucio finally sighed in defeat, chuckling.

“What a gentleman,” he replied with a sarcastic tone, brushing some of the flour off of Reinhardt’s back. He looked down at his own watch, then back up to Reinhardt.

“Hey, I have to go meet up with Winston. But I’ll see you later, right?” Lucio asked, Reinhardt made a point to make it seem like he was contemplating his words very hard.

“Hmmm. Only if you want to, _freund,_ ” He replied with a smile, “You can help me cook dinner later, how does that sound?”

Lucio smiled in response, nodding his head in approval, “Yeah, haha! Great! I’ll catch you later then!” Lucio pat Reinhardt’s broad back before he made his way quickly out the door. Reinhardt watched him go, a fond smile on his face. He looked back to the dishes, then to McCree where he now sat at the bar. He had a knowing smirk on his face as he chewed on his pancake.

_“Was?”_

~ ~ ~

 

Lucio hoisted the duffle bag with his leg cages onto the table in Winston’s lab. He had been instructed to set up his equipment to work, even if Winston was not there so that once he arrived he could get started right away. He pulled the legs out, interlocking them together until he was satisfied with his set up, then finally placing his Sonic Amplifier next to the legs. It felt strange seeing the leg cages on the table and not on his own body. It almost felt to Lucio as if he was looking at only half of a body on the table.

He moved away from the table towards the large computer screens, Athena’s symbol projected on all monitor surfaces. The monitors were large and glowed blue against the white laboratory. Lucio whistled, impressed by the set up.

“Hello, Agent Lucio,” Athena’s voice greeted Lucio suddenly, causing him to jump back in surprise.

“Woah! How can you… What? You can see me?” Lucio quickly looked around the room for cameras, scanners, and any other tech Winston may have added to the super computer. But there appeared to be only the large computer screens in front of him.

“Affirmative, Agent Lucio. I have a camera in my screen,” The monitor flickered, changing to an aerial view of the room. Lucio gazed at his own projection in astonishment.

“Yo, that’s sick!” Lucio laughed, stepping closer to the computer. “So, you’re like, uh… Super computer program, right?”

“I am an artificial intelligence unit created by Winston. I am here to help Overwatch in any ways that may involve technology, keeping records, and maintaining security of all data as well as general security systems through the Watchpoint,” Athena’s calm voice explained, “But, simply put, yes. I am a super computer program,”

“Cool…” Lucio whispered in awe, he looked down at the complex computer keyboard before him, “So, uh… What kind of data do you have anyway?”

“All personal records of the members of Overwatch, including history, medical records, news reports, aliases, and current whereabouts,” Athena continued, “If you have any questions about anyone on the Overwatch team, you have access to most files,”

“Woah woah woah, wait. Is all my information in the database too?” Lucio questioned, looking up at the screen as a folder popped up labeled “Lucio Correia dos Santos”. The folder opened, and inside were multiple files. Pictures of him, blue prints of his weaponry and armor. Medical files, news reports from global news outlets. Lucio scanned the information quickly, concern crossing his face.

“Is something the matter, Agent Lucio?” Athena’s voice questioned, her icon popping up on the bottom of the screen again. Lucio scratched the back of his neck.

“Well… Just not sure how comfortable I am that anyone in Overwatch can see all my records, s’all,” Lucio replied quietly, rubbing his neck.

“I can change it so that only certain files can be seen by anyone other than Angela, who must have access to all of your medical files,”

Lucio looked back up with a small smile, “Y-Yeah! That would be great. Uh… Just, news reports and, um… Blue prints, I’m fine with sharing. Medical files, though… If you could keep that on the down low, I would really appreciate it, Athena,”

“Of course, Agent Lucio,” The monitor shifted again, multiple files now bearing a locked symbol on them before the folder was closed again. Lucio gave a relieved sigh, rolling his shoulders.

“Is there anything else I could do for you, Agent Lucio?” Athena asked, her logo filling the monitor screen again.

“Mmm… No, nothing else for now. Thanks, Athena,” Lucio replied, smiling up at the monitor. For a strange A.I. computer program, he was surprised by how human she seemed. Winston had done a really great job creating her, it seemed.

Lucio stepped away from the monitor just as the gorilla himself walked in. Winston walked with purpose into the door, gazing around until he saw Lucio, sighing in relief.

“My goodness, so sorry I’m late. I-I lost track of time, and, uh…” He walked forward towards Lucio, “My apologies, Lucio. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting,”

“It’s no biggie, Winston! Athena kept me company,” Lucio chuckled, walking over to him, “I got it all set up on the table like you said. You wanted to make some adjustments, right?”

“Oh, y-yes!” Winston pushed his glasses up his nose, moving to the table. He sat down, his large hands coming forward to pick up the leg cages, “Yes. I wanted to make some adjustments, check the wiring for any short circuits. Increase the overall grip power of the skates for when you ride along walls, so you are less likely to fall. And then I had some ideas for your Sonic Amplifier…” Winston set the cages down, moving over to the computer. He took his seat on the large truck tire and started to punch away at the keyboard, pulling up a new folder simply named “Sonic Amplifier 2.0”. The filed opened to reveal a three dimensional blueprint of the Sonic Amplifier, but some components where highlighted in orange.

“I was looking at your weapon, and how it could create such a large shockwave on its own. I know it could be useful in some situations, but so far the overall outcome of its function has been…”

“Bad,” Lucio said blandly.

“Y-Yes. Bad. _But!_ ” Winston enlarged the image, focusing on the interior, “If there were to be some small changes on the inside, re-wire it to amplify one of your songs, I think the function of that large shockwave can be changed from destructive to healing,” Winston looked to Lucio, and the impressed smile on the younger man’s face said it all. Lucio nodded his head excitedly.

“That sounds awesome, Winston! How long will it take, I-I could help-” Lucio started, but Winston raised one large hand to silence him.

“No need. I can do all the adjustments and have them ready by tomorrows training exercise. You will be able to test the improvements then. But until tomorrow, take some time to relax, maybe try and see if you can catch Genji and Zenyatta,” Winston gazed back up at the three dimensional diagram. “Or maybe… Oh, I don’t know… Maybe go see Torbjörn? You two didn’t quite leave off on the right foot,”

Lucio rolled his eyes, kicking his foot against the ground.

“Doubt he wants to see me,” Lucio mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“You’re probably right,” Winston replied. Lucio looked at him with slight shock. Winston gave Lucio a sideways look, “But you two won’t get any friendlier with each other if you don’t talk,”

Lucio cast his gaze down and away, pressing his lips together. “You’re right, maybe later…” Lucio scratched the back of his neck, looking towards the door, “Well, I look forward to see what you got tomorrow then,” Lucio turned and started to walk toward the door. Winston watched over his shoulder as the young man walked out, sinking into his seated position.

“Do you think he will go speak to Torbjörn, Winston?” Athena’s voice questioned once Lucio has left the room. Winston sighed, cracking the knuckles of his feet.

“Not sure, but he’s a good kid. The two of them will make up soon enough,” Winston assured, typing notes onto the keyboard

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAaah thank you for reading! Kudos and Comments are appreciated and loved! Ill try to keep with this schedule of posting every Tuesday, but I have no idea how long that will stick with university schedule. 
> 
> I hope you have a lovely day!!
> 
> If you want to contact me directly, you can find me at letmeshinebright.tumblr.com


	5. Embrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A busy day at the Watchpoint.
> 
> But when the night comes, so do the nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dude I had no idea how to summarize this chapter so much happens //sweats
> 
> Thank you all so much for your patience, school really loaded it on me heavy so I apologize for no chapter last week! I hope to make it up to you with this fresh new (and decently long) chapter for y'all!
> 
> (I stayed up until 2 am this morning writing this and editing, fell asleep, and then did more edits. If there is anything grammar wise wrong.... thats why lol)
> 
> Enjoy!

The sounds of drills and hammers filled the workshop, echoing through the halls outside as Reinhardt approached Torbjörn’s workshop. Upon entering Reinhardt could feel the heat radiated from the machinery. Heavy equipment lining the walls and space and the walking room was really only large enough for the small man, obvious he planned it this way so that nobody could mess with his tools and projects. Steam and smoke rose from kilns and boilers scattered across the room. When Reinhardt entered, ducking low to get in, Torbjörn was busy hammering away at a new project. The metal against metal pangs chimed loud and shrill in Reinhardt’s ears, but they did not seem to bother Torbjörn in the slightest.

Reinhardt had to tiptoe around, careful not to knock anything over with his large frame. He looked like a bull in a china shop, towering over everything in Torbjörn space. The smaller man glanced up at him, then back down at the metal he was pounding into shape.  Reinhardt watched as Torbjörn worked, eventually taking the metal and placing it in the kiln next to him, moving away from the anvil towards the back of the shop, away from Reinhardt. The larger man could not follow him, so he called to him.

“What are you making, _mein Freund?_ ” His voice boomed over the machinery, Torbjörn glanced over his shoulder at him as he continued to move away.

“Ah… just some blacksmithing, busy work,” Torbjörn called to Reinhardt in reply, coming back with various tools in his hand. His prosthetic was replaced with a simple hammer about the size of an average fist. Reinhardt knew Torbjörn had many different prosthetics he had made for himself through the years, but he was not quite sure how many exactly.

Torbjörn laid out the tools on the bench next to the anvil. Pliers, an even smaller hammer, and a chisel among them. He retrieved the metal from the kiln, red hot from the heat and took to work on it again.

“I’m assumin’ you came here fer a reason, Wilhelm,” Torbjörn called, working quickly with his hands. Reinhardt scoffed, shifting on his feet.

“ _Was?_ Can I not simply come to visit my friend?” Reinhardt questioned, his exaggerated tone making it obvious he was trying to cover the slight nervousness he had. Torbjörn simply looked back up at him, smirking.

“You hate coming in here. It’s too small fer you, ya great bear!” Torbjörn gestured to Reinhardt’s tall form. He could not hold his chuckle. The taller man finally sighed.

“Ah, you got me,” Reinhardt chuckled, but it was not an amused laugh. Reinhardt looked round to see if there was anywhere he could sit to make him feel less awkward, less like a tower, though no such spot could be found. “I wanted to talk to you about… Yesterday,”

Torbjörn tightened his lips, eyebrows knitting together and nose scrunching as if he smelled something fowl, he keep his focus on the hot metal in his hands.

“What about it?” He asked briskly, turning his back slightly to Reinhardt. He hunched over his work so that Reinhardt could not see it.

“Well, it’s just that…” Reinhardt scratched behind his neck. His words came out slow, cautious, “I feel like you were, perhaps, too harsh on Lucio,”

Torbjörn glanced over his shoulder, looking Reinhardt up and down before turning back to his work.

“That sounds like a personal opinion to me,” he put simply, his words with a slight sour undertone. Reinhardt scowled at him, eyebrows knitting together.

“Torb, don’t be that thick,” His tone lowered, more serious than before, “He’s the first new Overwatch recruit in a long time, working in a situation he had never done before with people who have worked together for ages in the past. He was nervous, under attack, and I’m certain your little comments didn’t help him feel like he was a welcomed part of the team,” He waited for Torbjörn to look at him, maybe at least reply. When he did not he continued, “Anyone’s tech can malfunction like that, it’s never the users fault when an accident happens,”

“Look!” Torbjörn threw his hands up in the air, obviously annoyed “I just thought that maybe the _kid_ needed a reality check, s’all. Acting like a hot shot on those roller-blades,” He started.

“He is not a child, dancing around like this is a party. He is a man, who has fought wars just like you and me,” Reinhardt’s words came out harsher than he meant. He coughed, then continued, “You said that situations like that reflect how we work as a team in the field. Do you really think a hot-blooded reaction like _yours_ reflects well how you would react in the field if something went wrong?” Reinhardt continued. Torbjörn looked away, Reinhardt crossed his hands over his broad chest.

“He’s just so _new,_ he doesn’t know what he’s doing,”

Reinhardt gave a heavy sigh, not wanting to argue, “He knows more than you give him credit, Torbjörn. But I don’t want to take too much of your time scolding you, that was not my goal. I’m not your commanding officer, I’m your friend. But lots of changes are being made to Overwatch, training new recruits and getting them into the loop is one of them. We were all learning at one point, but having some old coot gripe at us and point out every mistake is not the best teaching tactic,” Reinhardt said his last point with an air of humor, a warm smile on his lips. Torbjörn chuckled slightly, looking up at Reinhardt, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Who are _you_ calling old?” He questioned, both of them laughed at one another. Torbjörn sighed, looking back at his work. He picked it up and inspected the end. He had taken the metal and manipulated it into the head of a horse. He blew upon the metal as the final redness of it faded away, then quickly dipped it into a bucket of water.

“Talk to the lad, I’m sure he would appreciate it,” Reinhardt concluded, turning to walk out.

It was not until Reinhardt was about to step out the door when Torbjörn finally spoke again.

“You like the boy, don’t you?”

Reinhardt froze, turning back around to Torbjörn. He was walking towards him, the metalwork in his hand, looking up at him expectantly. Reinhardt raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I do, he is a friend and a team mate,”

“Sure it ain’t more than that, Wilhelm?” Torbjorn raised his own brow with a smirk, pointing at him with his metal work. Reinhardt let out a guffaw, waving his hand at him.

“What?! No, don’t be silly. I’m too old for that puppy love _Scheisse_ ,” Reinhardt chuckled, Torbjörn rolled his eyes, holding up the metalwork for Reinhardt to take. The larger man took it in his own hands carefully, “Besides, much to old in general,”

“I don’t know if I believe you, Winhelm. You’ve always liked the ones with spirit, and his gives yours a run for its money” Torbjörn smirked at him and walked back into the shop, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he liked you too, the little cougar. Basically spends all day attached to your hip,”

Reinhart frowned, looking down at the horse sculpture in his palm. The opposing end had been bent into a hook so that the thing could be hung on a wall and be of use. It was twisted and intricate, the horse head surprisingly detailed considering the short amount of time the man spent on it. Obvious that a master of metal had made it, no less. Reinhardt shook his head.

“Don’t shape him into something he is not, Torbjörn. He is not a piece of metal,” He turned back towards the door, calling over his shoulder, “I highly suggest you speak with him soon,”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here,” He waved his hand dismissively. Reinhardt smiled, and walked out.

~ ~ ~

Lucio was walking alone through the Watchpoint, small headphones fitted in his ears. He beatboxed to the rhythm to himself, dance in his step as he walked along. Unseen and unheard, Genji stalked behind him. The cyborg crept up right behind Lucio, placing his hands on his shoulders suddenly and with force.

“Boo!” Shouted Genji in Lucio’s ear, causing the smaller man to basically jump out of his skin, yelping in distress. Whipping around, Lucio was greeted with the sight of Genji, holding his stomach and laughing.

“Dude! The hell, man?” Lucio gave a nervous laugh, removing one headphone. Genji’s laughter continued for another moment, before he took a deep breath, trying to tame his giggles.

“ _Gomen’nasai_ Lucio,” he straightens up, light laughter still in his words “It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.” Lucio gave a little smirk, punching the cyborgs arm. Genji tried to avoid it, but accepted the hit with a hidden smile.

“Where are you heading, Lucio?” Genji questioned, gazing down at him.

“Ah… Just walking around, not going anywhere in particular,” Lucio shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket, kicking the ground gently.

“Then I shall join you, _Kaeru otoko”_ Genji stepped in the direction Lucio was headed, Lucio following him quickly, walking along together.

“How did you get so good at the sneaking and the jumping?” Lucio asked, motioning with his hands a little finger person jumping around. Genji chuckles.

“When I was still living in Hanamura, with the Shimada clan, I was trained in the ways of the assassin. Though, in my youth, I wanted to be more of a Ninja, so I really only trained for my selfish gain back then,”

“Cool, cool…”Lucio looked Genji up and down silently “And… How’d you get all the cool robot parts?”

Genji took a moment before answering, taking a silent deep breath, “My brother, Hanzo, attacked me,” He looked down, watching Lucio’s reaction to his words, “He almost succeeded in killing me. If not for the amazing work of Doctor Ziegler, I would be dead,”

“Wow, you and Hanzo must have had, uh… Quite the sibling rivalry,” Lucio half-laughed nervously, removing the other headphone from his ear.

“No, it was not like that. In our youth we were great friends, but age separated us. To make the story short, we had a disagreement in lifestyle choices. This made my brother angry,” Genji turned his head to Lucio, looking down at the shorter man, “But now, I forgive him,”

Lucio’s eyes went wide in shock, “How? He almost _killed_ you!?”

Genji chuckled lightly, giving a small, content sigh “From the help of my master. He taught me not only to forgive my brother, but to also accept my body as it is now. The heart of a man still beats inside me, that will never change,” Lucio can’t see past the visor, but he can tell that he is smiling just from his voice. Genji looks down to Lucio again excitedly, “Will you accompany me? Zenyatta will arrive soon and he wishes to meet everyone. It would mean a lot if you came, but you do not have to,”

Lucio shruged his shoulders “Why not? He seems like a cool guy. Yea, I wanna meet him!” he smileed up at Genji, sharing his excitement. He nods in understanding, smiling under his visor.

“Thank you, Lucio. Follow me,” Genji walks faster now, Lucio almost having to jog to keep up with the Cyborg. They travel across the Watchpoint to the west bay, which contained a door that connects to an underground tunnel connecting the Watchpoint to land. As they neared the door, a glint of silver caught Lucio’s eye. His gaze traveled beyond the doors to the Cliffside where a silver figure was seated, what appeared to be orbs floated around their form. He recognized the Omnic language being projected out of them as they bounced occasionally. Genji slowed his pace, Lucio almost bumping into him when he stopped. Genji motioned for Lucio to stay, the shorter man giving him a small nod in understanding before the Cyborg approached the Omnic. He can see Genji is holding his excitement.

 “Master,” he says aloud, bowing low from the hip once he has approached the Omnic closer, “You are early,” he says, Zenyatta rises from the ground. Literally _rises_ , he seemed to just float up from his seated position, the orbs taking their place around Zenyatta’s neck

“Do not be troubled, Genji. It is not a problem you were not here the moment I arrived.” His voice is calm and collected, and much lower than what Lucio expected “It allowed me to take in the scenery of the ocean. It is so beautiful here, your words truly did not give it justice, just like you said.”

Genji nods in agreement, “It truly is, Master,” He approached Zenyatta again, standing next to him. He motioned with his head for Lucio to approach. “Master, this is Lucio, he is our newest recruit to Overwatch. He wished to meet you, among others,”

Lucio waved, “H-Hi!” His voice stuttered as he approached, suddenly feeling nervous under the Omnics gaze. He had never met a monk before, let alone an Omnic monk, but he continued to smile as the Omnic looked at him.

Zenyatta placed his feet upon the ground seemingly out of curtesy. He is taller than Lucio thought he would be, and when Zenyatta bowed to Lucio it catches him slightly off-guard.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lucio. Any friend of Genji is a friend of mine,” his voice sounds kind and welcoming. It had always been a little tricky for Lucio to gauge the emotions of Omnics. Lucio smiled warmly, bowing himself from the hip nice and low.

“Likewise to you, Zenyatta,” the name sounded odd on his tongue, nervous that he may have pronounced it wrong. He glanced nervously at Genji, who gave him a reassuring nod. “So, you are Genjis teacher?”

“Yes, I am his mentor,” Genji looked to Zenyatta just as he looked up to Genji. Lucio glanced between the two, and can tell that they are truly happy to see each other again. Then he has the sudden sense that he is third-wheeling the whole situation. Lucio shifts awkwardly on his feet.

“Well, you two probably have a lot of catching up to do, and I should probably find Reinhardt, we planned on making dinner today,”

“Oh? What will you be making?” Zenyatta asked, looking back to Lucio. His head cocked slightly to the left.

“Uh… not quite sure yet,” Lucio laughed, blushing. Zenyatta chuckled. It was light and genuine, Lucio’s smile widened upon hearing it.

“Well, we will not keep you. Go to your friend, Lucio. I look forward to seeing you at a later time,” He raises one of his metal hands, palm facing Lucio, “Blessings be upon you,”

Lucio gave a grin, one last bow and a wave before he runs off. Right before leaving the area he glances back at the pair, they are hugging.

~  ~  ~

Reinhardt made his way slowly toward the direction of the kitchen at a leisurely pace, taking the long way around to walk along the sea-side walkways. His mind had been clear of memories of the past all day, but had been instead filled with thoughts of Lucio, and the words Torbjörn had said to him. Did he like Lucio? Yes, he was a nice friend and team mate. But could it ever be more, could Reinhardt like him more like Torbjörn had pointed out? He had not even considered it an option, but now that the seed had been planted its roots grew quickly. He would be lying to himself if he said he did not think Lucio was a good looking man, but _could_ Lucio even like him back in a romantic way? He was young and a tad wild in that sense. He didn’t seem the sort to settle for a long-term relationship, especially as a celebrity. And also the fact that he was more than double Lucio’s age, Lucio had no doubt better options or would simply not be interested. Reinhardt rubbed his eyes gently, _pull yourself together._ The idea is absurd. Lucio had so much youth, so much he still had to experience in life. Reinhardt has already lived enough adventures to fill a few books, and a few more wrinkles than he cared for. It could never be.

He stopped, resting his hands on the cool railing, staring out into the sea. The water and sky met almost perfectly in their shades of blue, no cloud on the horizon. Reinhardt took a deep breath of air, shaking his hair in the salty breeze. He should not dwell on the impossible. His fingertips drummed against the metal, curse Torbjörn for even have him consider such a thing. Lucio would never, _could_ never.

Reinhardt became lost in thought, mesmerized by the rolling waves of the ocean. The quick, light footsteps were not noticed as they approached along the walkway, nor was Lucio when he rounded the corner. He stopped quickly in his tracks as he was startled by the sudden presence of Reinhardt.

“Oh! Reinhardt!” Lucio called, smiling, “Didn’t think I’d find you so fast!”

Reinhardt jumped slightly, turning to the noise. Upon finally registering who the sound came from, he sighed out in relief, placing a hand over his heart, “Lucio! _Leiber Herr_ , you startled me!” Reinhardt announced, Lucio approached quickly, standing next to him and leaning on the rail to look at the ocean.

“Wow… Even here, the Ocean looks so different than back at home!” Lucio whistled, taking a deep breath, “Air smells different too, it’s colder,”

Reinhardt nodded his head in agreement, “Yes, autumn is quickly approaching. Before we know it the snow will come, too,” Reinhardt commented, crossing his arms across his chest. Little goosebumps prickled across his skin as a breeze flew by. Lucio hugged himself, shivering audibly.

“Ohoo! Let’s get somewhere warmer…” He moved away from the railing, walking down past Reinhardt, “Let’s go to the kitchen and get dinner started. I’m hungry!”

Reinhardt chuckled, muttering “Don’t be such a baby,” under his breath as he followed Lucio. As they walked, Lucio did most of the talking. He explained what he and Winston discussed about his tech, and the improvements that would be made. He talked about his encounter with Genji, and that he met Zenyatta. Reinhardt nodded his head as he listened, but the words only half reached him as they walked, his mind still caught with Torbjörn’s words.

_“I wouldn’t be surprised if he liked you too, the little cougar. Basically spends all day attached to your hip,”_

“Reinhardt? Hellooo? You there, buddy?” Lucio gazed up at him, an eyebrow cocked.

“ _Was?_ ” Reinhardt blinked, eyes refocusing on Lucio. He had stared into space looking directly at Lucio, it seemed.

“Zoned out? Or am I just that nice to look at?” Lucio gave a little snicker when a slight blush came to Reinhardt’s cheeks.

“ _Entschuldigung._ Just got lots on the brain, it seems,” Reinhardt chuckled, brushing off the embarrassment.

The pair continued their banter until they reached the kitchen. Angela and Lena sat at the kitchen table, each sipping out of a mug. Angela looked up from her cup when the pair entered, smiling warmly.

“Evening, boys!” Lena greeted them, waving her hand.

“Evenin’,” Lucio called, giving a small wave with two fingers. Reinhardt moved towards the table, sitting down next to Angela.

“Are you two hungry?” Reinhardt questioned, Angela gave a small smile, setting her cup down.

“If you two are cooking, then I would love whatever you make,” Angela looked to Reinhardt, then to Lucio. Lena nodded her head in agreement.

“Any food someone else is willing to make is great with me,” She giggled when Lucio rolled his eyes at her, sticking her own tongue out at him.

“Aight, so what does everyone want?” Lucio asked, taking a seat next to Lena. She tapped a finger against her chin.

“Hmm… I think we have some noodles and tomato sauce. Some spaghetti sounds great right now,” Lena sipped from her tea, glancing between Lucio and Reinhardt. Reinhardt gave a short, excited laugh.

“Spaghetti? Sounds easy enough!” he clapped his hands together, lifting himself up from the table. “Come, Lucio my assistant!” He moved to the oven, Lucio followed quickly behind.

“Hey! Who said _I_ was _your_ assistant!? I think it’s the other way around!” Lucio exclaimed, following him. Once behind the counter, Reinhardt turned quickly to Lucio, leaning over him while poking him on the chest, cornering him against the counter.

“My kitchen, my rules,” Reinhardt growled out, a grin on his lips, holding Lucio in place with just a gaze. Lucio could not hold the tiny yelp if he tried, blushing dark red. Reinhardt held his low chuckle.

“Now,” Satisfied, Reinhardt took a step away, a wide smile on his face “Let’s get cooking!”

The two cooked with the same connected flow they had when making pancakes, working together side by side with laughter and a bit of mess, but managing to make a good meal. Lucio raided the spice cabinet to add to the sauce while Reinhardt tended to the noodles and meatballs. As they cooked, other members of Overwatch filed in, and soon the entire kitchen was filled with friendly chatter and laughter. Genji had brought Zenyatta with him. Even though the Omnic did not need to eat, Zenyatta insisted that he joined everyone for a meal regardless. Torbjörn came in silently, catching Reinhardt’s eye and giving him a quick smile before taking a seat next to Angela at the table. McCree came in with Winston, Lena making loud gun sounds upon seeing the cowboy. The two pretended to have an old western showdown, McCree drawing Peacemaker and shouting “Bang!” as Lena dropped to the floor overdramatically, yelling out her cursed last words towards Jesse before a showy death, earning the laughter of the group.

Once the timer sounded for the spaghetti, the lot lined up for bowls and forks, everyone eventually making their way through the line and sitting down at the dinner table. Reinhardt and Lucio sat next to each other, but it was hard for Lucio to focus on eating when his eyes were shining with so much joy. Reinhardt watched as the younger man looked around the table in awe, seemingly mesmerized with the group of people he sat with. His eyes only got wider when Genji removed his visor, exposing his heavily scared face to eat a little bit of the meal. When Lucio’s stare was held a little too long, Reinhardt nudged him with his elbow, breaking his eye contact. Reinhardt leaned down to whisper in Lucio’s ear.

“It’s rude to stare, _Freund_ ,” Reinhardt chuckled when Lucio flushed, nodding his head in understanding before finally starting to eat. Reinhardt sat back up, glancing at Torbjörn. He had been watching the pair, it seemed. Torbjörn chuckled under his breath as he continued to eat.

Winston sat down at the head of the table with a bunch of bananas and a jar of peanut butter, eating his own meal with everyone else. Once everyone seemed to be done, He placed some papers on the table before knocking upon the tabletop to call everyone’s attention. The group slowly settled down, looking at the gorilla. Winston scanned his eyes across the table at everyone, smiling.

“I’m happy we all managed to make it to dinner tonight,” Winston started, pushing up his glasses, “And I would like to take a moment to welcome our new guest, Tekhartha Zenyatta,” Winston gestured his big hand towards Zenyatta, who bowed his head slightly. Everyone smiled, a couple clapped. McCree even gave a quick whistle before everyone fell silent again, “We welcome you to Overwatch, Zenyatta,”

“Thank you, Winston. It is an honor,” The monk replied, Lucio could see Genji smile as his mentor spoke.

“Now, since we are all here I thought that I could take this opportunity to do a little bit of debriefing,” Winston picked up the papers, everyone glanced around the table, curious as to what Winston would say.

“We have a mission coming soon, not a field mission, but an important one none the less,” Winston read the paper, flipping through them, “We will be going to Rio De Janeiro to get our name out there, confirm to the world that we are back,”

Lucio could not hold his smile, bouncing slightly in his seat. Winston smiled when he saw the obvious excitement come from Lucio.

“Looks like _someone’s_ excited,” McCree chuckled, others around the table giggled. Lucio gave a short laugh.

“Of course I am! That’s my home turf!” Lucio smiled, looking back to Winston, “What are we gonna do there?”

Winston gave a small smile, looking back down at his papers, “It is just simply to establish a presence there, positive publicity. And also, perhaps, Overwatch will be meeting with Vishkar to discuss,”

“Discus what, exactly?” Lucio asked, now on the defensive. His eyebrows knit together in a scowl. Reinhardt looked from Lucio to Winston, hoping for answers.

“Overwatch and Vishkar may possibly discuss an agreement for a short term alliance. Their company has very powerful influence in multiple countries. If we can get them to be on our side, then we will have an alliance possibly strong enough to _maybe_ convince the UN to remove the PETRAS act, if only for a short time”

“But Vishkar is full of crooks! They have shady dealings, they have destroyed people’s homes and lives and killed people for their own gain. Is that really who Overwatch wants to be in league with?” Lucio persisted, holding his strong gaze. Winston sighed.

“I am well aware about Vishkar’s shaded past-” He starts,

“Well then why-?”

“But considering that any Overwatch activity is still considered illegal, there is not much more we can do for the time being,” Winston adds quickly. Lucio wants to object again, he has 50 other ideas that Overwatch could do. Winston sighs.

“My decision is not final, and I still have many other options to think over. Going straight to the UN to ask for the PETRAS act to be removed is risky, but we need to attempt this before anything,” Winston looks at Lucio, waiting for him to retort. Lucio crosses his arms over his chest, sighing.

“Fine,” His voice was low, bitter, but he seemed at least satisfied. Winston looked at him sadly, then looked back down at his papers.

“This is our first upcoming mission, otherwise we will continue with training. I have posted the training schedule for you all to look over,” he folds the papers up and places them in a pocket of his suit, “That is all,”

~ ~ ~

As soon as his dishes were placed in the sink, Lucio headed back to his room, still feeling the anger from the short meeting at dinner. Reinhardt, concerned, quickly chased after him, excused from doing dishes since he cooked.

“Lucio! By god, slow down!” Reinhardt chuckled, jogging up next to Lucio. The smaller man did not say anything.

“What, no hello?” Reinhardt asked, though his voice is amused, his face showed worry. Lucio looked up at him, examining his expression before he finally let out a sigh.

“Gosh… I’m sorry, I just… I _can’t_ believe Winston would even consider siding with those Vishkar creeps!” Lucio rubs his temple, giving an exasperated sigh. Reinhardt nodded his head, understanding where his frustration was coming from. Reinhardt placed a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder, turning him to look at him.

“Continue to voice your discontent, then. Winston hears you, and he will try to think of another way if there is a good one. Listen to your heart, it will lead you and this team correctly,”

Lucio gazed up at Reinhardt, a tad starry eyed “Do you also… object to teaming up with Vishkar?” Lucio asked, Reinhardt chuckled lightly

“I need to do a bit more reading, but from what I have heard from you… They don’t sound like a very nice group of individuals,” Reinhardt admited, releasing Lucio’s shoulder.

Lucio held his bitter laugh “You got that right,”

The two of them walked along a little further, silent. Lucio looked Reinhardt up and down before breaking the silence again.

“Reinhardt, you walk like you have a sore back,”

“What?”

“Your muscles, they look like they might be tight, the way you walk. Do you ever stretch before you work out?”

“Well…” Reinhardt scratched behind his head, feeling a tad awkward, “Sometimes, but it’s not part of my daily routine,”

Lucio whistled, shaking his head at the taller man disapprovingly. “Reinhardt, I am surprised you are still going. You really need to stretch those old bones.”

“Old bones!?” Reinhardt exclaimed, Lucio held a laugh while Reinhardt scoffs, crossing his arms “Well what do you suggest, Mr. Expert?”

“Well, you could try yoga? I do a bit of that every morning,” Lucio smiled. His eyes suddenly went wide, full of excitement, “I could teach you! Lead you through a routine!”

Reinhardt thought for a moment, he had never done Yoga before “Mmm, I don’t know,”

“What, are you afraid of a little stretching and muscle strengthening?” Lucio teased, poking Reinhardt’s abs. Reinhardt gasped, offended.

“The great Reinhardt is afraid of nothing!” Reinhardt voice boomed though the hall, glaring down at Lucio,

“Great! Then we can start tomorrow!” Lucio continued to walk past him, giving him a quick smug look. Reinhardt’s face froze as he realized he had lost, his eyes narrowed down at the younger man.

“They should call you the little fox, not the little frog, you sneak,” Reinhardt mumbled, Lucio snickered.

“Come on, it won’t be bad. Just one time, that’s it. If you don’t like it you don’t have to continue. Just… Would hate to see you get hurt out there,” Lucio admitted, looking up at Reinhardt affectionately. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, Reinhardt’s heart thumped heavy against his chest before he looked away, coughing.

“Okay. I’ll do it this once, _mein_ _Freund._ No other promises after that,” He looked back down to Lucio just in time to catch his bright smile. Reinhardt could not help but look down at him fondly.

~ ~ ~

The scream? The scream was the worst part to hear.

The scream rang out, panicked, rough, blood curdling. Reinhardt sat up quickly, confused, pulling the blanket off of him. Another scream, more panicked than the last. Reinhardt stood quickly, full alert, his own dream fading into nothing. Memories flashed in his brain instead. Screams, old screams, they mixed with the new ones. Reinhardt shook his head, rushing towards the door.

“Who…?” Reinhardt burst through his own bedroom door, looked up and down the hallway. The yelling seemed to be coming from Lucio’s room. Reinhardt’s heart seemed to skip a beat, was he being attacked?

“Lucio?!” Reinhardt yelled, meeting the door in three large steps. Another terrified scream sounded. Reinhardt tried the door knob but it was locked. He banged on the door, yelling Lucio’s name, but his screams continued. Reinhardt growled, taking three steps back before ramming the door with his body. The door came off the hinges easily, falling off and onto the floor with a loud thump. Reinhardt had to catch himself as not to fall. He squinted into the dark room, seeing no intruder, but Lucio’s form was jerking and shaking in his bed, screaming.

“ _Não, pare! Não, pare!_ ” Lucio yelled, tossing and turning.

“Lucio?” Reinhardt quickly moved towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder, he was covered in sweat. Lucio’s hand suddenly jerked up to Reinhardt’s wrist, gripping tightly, nails biting into Reinhardt’s skin, as if he was a life line. The older man’s heart thumped heavy in his chest.

“ _Leave…_ _Leave them alone!”_ That was all Reinhardt could catch between the grunts and yells mixed with Portuguese. Lucio’s blanket had been tossed off the bed before he entered, allowing Reinhardt to watch every erratic movement the smaller man made. What remained of his legs jerked and kicked around, his other hand gripping the bed sheet tight under him. Lucio continued to twitch and squirm as Reinhardt moved his other hand to under Lucio’s thighs, picking the smaller man up. In his slumber he made sounds of fear, pushing away from Reinhardt. He was so light, he felt like if he was any rougher he could break him.

“Lucio…” Reinhardt whispered, raised him easily, drawing him close to his form, “I’m here, I’m here… _Befürchten Sie mich nicht, mein Freund.”_  The resisting stopped upon hearing the calm voice, a _familiar_ voice. Reinhardt gave a relieved sigh. He sat down upon the bed, allowing Lucio to release the bed sheet in his own time, the smaller man’s hand coming to Reinhardt’s shirt instead, clutching it with an iron grip. Lucio continued to pant, now sobbing heavily instead of yelling, gasping for breath. His small form shaking like a leaf in the wind in Reinhardt’s arms. He cradled him there, one hand rubbing his back while the other stabilized him on his lap, holding him under the thighs.

“ _Não… não… Pare… por favor,_ ” Lucio whimpered, the words rolling off his tongue as easily as water flowed down a stream, “ _Não prejudicá-los…”_

Reinhardt gazed down at the man in his arms. He was truly tiny in comparison to himself. He had known this of course, but holding him here made the realization hit him. His body looked so delicate, though he knew it was lined with firm muscle. His lip was pouted slightly in discomfort, cheeks stained in tears, and yet he still had the youthful, handsome look. He hugged him slightly closer, rubbing his back in gentle circles. He could feel through Lucio’s chest his accelerated heartbeat. Reinhardt ducked his head down close to Lucio’s, resting their foreheads together.

“It will be okay, Lucio…. I’ve got you,” He cooed, continuing to whisper gentle support to Lucio, taking his hand quickly to wipe the tears from his eyes. The minutes dragged on until Lucio’s breath, thankfully, started to level out. His body quakes next became gentle shivers, he sniffled instead of sobbed. Finally his muscles relaxed in Reinhardt’s arms. Lucio tucked his head into the crook of Reinhardt’s neck, sighing contently in his sleep. His hands released their grip on Reinhardt’s shirt, resting upon his lap.

Reinhardt took a deep sigh in relief, continuing to cradle Lucio in his arms. His own mind wandered again as he listened to Lucio’s gentle breathing, the memories crawling back to him, old memories. In his mind, he was sitting in the med bay, a dying soldier on the cot in front of him. He gazed around, all the cots held dying soldiers. He was back in Eisenwald. As the memory became clearer, the rag in his hand now had weight. He brought it up to the soldier’s forehead, it was already dark with her blood, but he did his best to dab at the fresh wound. She groaned in pain, gripping at the sheet under her. Her skin was hot, breath short.

“ _Bitte… Bitte… Ich habe Durst…_ ” Her voice croaked. Reinhardt quickly put the rag away in the memory, reaching for the bottle. He raised it to her lips, she took a desperate drink…

“Rein… Reinhardt?” Lucio whispered, voice hoarse after screaming. Reinhardt blinked his eyes and shook his head, he was basically hugging Lucio as close as possible to his body now. He loosened his grip, allowing the smaller man to move.

“Lucio, you’re awake…” Reinhardt sighed again in relief, hesitating a moment before moving Lucio off of his lap and onto the bed. The younger leaned heavily against Reinhardt still, groggy and half asleep. One hand came up and rubbed his eyes, which were no doubt red and stung from the tears.

“Gah…” his other hand came to his throat, “My throat… it hurts,”

“You had a nightmare, Lucio. Or, it sounded more like you were being murdered,” Reinhardt explained, turning to face him. Lucio looked down at his hands, “I thought that you were being attacked, so I came,”

“I… But I locked my door…” Lucio finally mumbled out, rubbing his eyes again. Reinhardt chuckled awkwardly.

“Yes… You did,” Reinhardt sighed, looking towards the open doorway. The door looked like a battering ram had taken it down with the size of the indentation in the wood. Reinhardt turned his focus back to Lucio, “Are you alright?”

Lucio did not say anything for a long moment, it seemed as if he was trying to collect the correct words, but none seemed to fit in place.

“It was… awful,” Lucio finally croaked out, hugging himself, “That’s never happened… I-I don’t wanna talk about it…”

Reinhardt looked the younger man up and down, and finally nodded his head.

“Alright, _Freund._ You do not have to,” He placed his hands in his lap, “Will you be alright for the rest of the night? Do you need some tea, or… uh…. Another blanket? _Teddybär?_ ” Reinhardt started to list items, but Lucio simply placed a hand on his knee to stop him, giving him a tired smile.

“Reinhardt… I-I’ll be alright,” He said, his words gentle and quiet, voice still rough, “Thank you, it’s… Amazing of you to even have done this much,”

Reinhardt was thankful for the darkness of the room, as he could feel the blush on his face go from ear to ear. He smiled, standing up off of the bed.

“It was my pleasure,” Reinhardt finally replied, voice warm and soft. He leaned down and pick up the broken door, looking it up and down.

“Oh boy… not sure what Winston will think of this,” Reinhardt chuckled, looking to the smaller man. Laughter was already on Lucio’s lips, rubbing his eyes again.

“Looks like this place needs stronger doors t’me,” Lucio remarked weakly, earning a laugh from the older man. Reinhardt worked the door out the open doorway, placing it along the wall of the hallway.

“Well… You should try to get more sleep, still have a couple more hours until morning,” Reinhardt checked his watch, 0107 hours. He ran a hand through his hair. A part of him did not want to leave Lucio alone in the room. He wanted to continue to sit with him, talk with him, and make sure he fell asleep soundly. He knew, though, that he should leave the young man alone. He gazed towards Lucio, “If you need anything else do not be afraid to awaken me, for any reason,” Reinhardt insisted. He was not sure if he was making eye contact, but he could see Lucio nod his head in understanding.

“Okay…” Lucio leaned down and retrieved his blanket, hugging it against his chest. The silence was long, as of Lucio had one more thing he wanted to say, but he remained silent.

“Thank you,”

Reinhardt smiled warmly, “You’re welcome, Lucio… _Gute Nacht,_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya liked it!
> 
> As always, Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!! Thoughts so far? Please give them to me I am so new at this. Ideas you want to share? Yes this is my life blood.
> 
> You can also always find me at my Tumblr, letmeshinebright, if you want to contact me directly.


	6. Anticipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang gets ready for training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I'm sorry everyone. I've had writers block. Not much happens in this chapter, mostly just setting up for the next one. Didn't want you guys to wait to long for the next chapter (since it has already been two weeks) aaah ^^"
> 
> Hope I can make it up to y'all by bring some sick nasty Halloween drabbles soon! I've got so many ideas I wish to share!
> 
> anyway, I hope you enjoy this short chapter.

“Come on, stretch your arm out!”

Reinhardt groaned as he stretched his left arm out above his head. He still could not believe he had agreed to this. Lucio had woken him up a little before 0800 hours, dressed in sweats and a tank top with the words “Do Yoga!” across the chest, smiling brightly. He allowed Reinhardt to get ready and forced him to take his pain medicine, much to Reinhardt’s annoyance but now in the position he was in he was quite glad.

He stood in what Lucio called “Triangle” pose, the stretch in his calf burned, but in a pleasant way. Lucio did not do the poses with him, instead helped make sure Reinhardt was not damaging his muscles, checking his poses. They had been doing this for about 30 minutes.

“You’re doing pretty well!” Lucio commented, “You can lower your arm now, raise yourself up back into warrior two,” Lucio instructed, his hands ghosting on Reinhardt’s sides, in case he lost his balance.

Reinhardt sighed and did so. He did not want to admit it, but he already felt better, felt looser and more flexible, if only a little. Lucio had first had him do ‘hip openers’, which Reinhardt did not understand why he had to do so, though was compliant. After a few moves and returning to ‘child pose’, he could spread his knees even further apart on the mat, sinking lower into the gentle stretch.

Reinhardt brought himself up to warrior two easily, stretching his hands out forward and back, looking to Lucio for confirmation. He smiled, moving around to Reinhardt’s front.

“Good! Now, bring your feet together on the mat in tree pose, slowly… Slowly!” Lucio exclaimed when Reinhardt jumped his feet back together, laughing whole heartedly when Lucio looked up at him so nervously.

“I’m not made of glass, Lucio! You should know that by now!” Reinhardt chuckled, Lucio just sighed.

“Well, you are nearly done. All that is left is shavasana,” Lucio explained, sitting down upon the ground. Reinhardt watched him as he sat, Lucio looking up at him expectantly.

“Oh!” Reinhardt suddenly sat down, causing the ground around him to shake slightly from the sudden weight drop. Lucio looked at him with brief concern, before scooting closer to Reinhardt.

“Okay, this one is easy. Lay down on your back,” Lucio explained, watching as Reinhardt followed his command, lying down. He stretched his legs out, adjusting his shoulders against the ground until he was comfortable, looking to Lucio. He had pulled out his phone.

“Okay, shavasana is also called “corpse pose”. Lay back and relax, reflect, meditate, and bring yourself to peace,” Lucio tapped something upon the screen of the phone, and it played a slow, calm song. Reinhardt sighed, turning his head to look at Lucio.

“So I just… lay here?” He questioned.

“Yep! Just 5 minutes, try not to fall asleep,” Lucio added with a wink, “Now close your eyes and breath, focus on allowing your mind to relax and clear. If thoughts come, it’s alright. Address them, and let them pass…”

He did so, closing his eyes and adjusted himself a little more until he became still. His barrel chest moved up and down slowly to his breath. Lucio watched with curious eyes as the larger man’s muscles visibly released tension. His breath slowed, seemingly in time to the relaxed beat of music Lucio played. He smiled to himself, shifting as silently as possible to sit close to Reinhardt’s face.

Reinhardt groaned out quietly, a release of built up stress in just a sigh. Lucio watched his face carefully, his eyes coming to rest on the scar on his face, glancing lower to his arms which also were covered in smaller, fainter scars across the firm muscle. He wanted to ask about the scar upon his left eye, how he got it. Was it in an epic fight? Or perhaps something less significant, like a bar fight. He cast his gaze across the large chest. Considering how long Reinhardt had been in the business of fighting, he was surprised he was still at the peak of strength and physical prowess. Lucio had been genuinely shocked when Reinhardt had agreed to yoga this morning, had given Lucio some trouble, asking probably more than necessary if he was alright from the night terror before. The concern was appreciated though.

 The older man gave another sigh, eyes peeking open for a moment, looking to Lucio with a grin on his lips.

“Ah ah ah! Eyes closed,” Lucio cooed. Reinhardt grumbled in response, closing them again. He turned his head away from Lucio.

The younger smiled to himself, it was a strangely pleasing feeling to tell the huge mass of man what to do, and he agreed to do so willingly. Comparing the two of them, he was a twig to a bear. How strong was he? Lucio wondered if Reinhardt could lift more than that one Russian weight lifter he had heard of. What was her name? Zaryanova?

_What would it feel like to be held down by him?_ His mind wandered down a guilty path, Lucio flushed deep red at his own thoughts, looking away from Reinhardt down at his phone for mental distraction. The song came to a quiet end, bringing Lucio’s focus back. He straightened himself up in a seated position, facing Reinhardt

“Alright, Reinhardt! You are all done,” He cheered, hoping there was no awkward edge to his voice “Start with small movements before you get up, twist your ankles and wrists around a bit.”

Reinhardt gave a low groan like a growl, but complied too Lucio’s words. He rotated his wrists and ankles slowly, small cracks of the joints could be heard before finally raising his form to a seated position. He stared down at Lucio with sleepy eyes, blinking his eyes slowly.

“So, what’cha think? Not too bad, I hope?” Lucio asked as Reinhardt stretched his arms above his head. Reinhardt smirked, eyeing Lucio with a sideways look.

“Eh, it was not the worst thing I have ever done,” He next stretched his arms out in front of him, “I definitely feel looser!” he laughed.

“Well, one last thing,” Lucio brought his hands together over his heart, Reinhardt followed suit when Lucio stared at him expectantly. Lucio bowed low.

“ _Namaste_ ,” Lucio said in a sing song tone, coming back to an upright seated position. Reinhardt slowly bowed himself, but did not repeat the word back. He smiled brightly at Reinhardt as they stood. Reinhardt pat Lucio on the back, which caused the smaller to cough from the sudden strong impact.

 “Thank you, _mein Freund!”_

“No problem,” he coughed out, regaining his voice, “So. Would you… Consider doing it again?” Lucio slipped the question in quickly, smiling up at the taller man hopefully. Reinhardt gave a guffaw, scratching behind his neck.

“Perhaps! You will have to bring me the harder stretches next time, Lucio! I like a challenge!” Reinhardt grinned warmly. He placed his hand gently on Lucio’s back, pushing him gently along with him. “Now come, we have not had a proper breakfast and training starts at 1200 hours sharp,”

~ ~ ~

McCree, Reinhardt and Lucio sat together in the kitchen, munching on the brunch of soup and sandwiches that Angela, Genji and Zenyatta had offered to make. Though Zenyatta could not eat, he seemed more than happy to assist them cook, helping Angela with the soup by chopping vegetables up for her. The pure joy in his voice seemed to warm everyone in the room at their core. Genji could not stop smiling, occasionally ditching his sandwich making to check on Zenyatta and giving him praise, which caused Zenyatta to laugh in response.

While the group of them ate (Zenyatta watched, sitting next to Genji), Lena came into the kitchen in the middle of their meal, dressed in her combat uniform.

“Hello, everyone!” She chirped, waving to the table. The group all greeted her through mouthfuls of food, Zenyatta was the only one who gave a formal greeting.

“Greetings, Lena. How are you today?” The Omnics words flowed out in a warm voice. Lena’s smile widened.

“I-I’m doing wonderful, thank you!” She giggled, “So, everyone ready for training today?”

“What are you doing today? Winston gave no training details in his report,” Angela asked, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.

“Oh, it’s a surprise!” Lena giggled, earning from everyone a raised eyebrow or cocked head. Lena winked, grabbing a sandwich and turning on her heel.

“Winston and I are expecting you all to be there, 12 o’clock sharp! Cheers!” And with that the brit blinked out of existence, a blue trail leading out the door. McCree whistled, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“Welp… This ‘ought to be good,” he chuckled. Reinhardt joined him in his laughter, glancing down at Lucio. He was staring at his soup, nervousness in his features. Reinhardt nudged him with his elbow.

“Butterflies tickling your innards?” Reinhardt chuckled, his words bringing Lucio back from staring into space.

“Huh? Oh, no! Hah, just was thinking… Wonder when I’ll get my tech back from Winston, ya’know?”

“Ooh,” The word was draw out, Reinhardt waved his hand to disregard his worry, “Do not worry about it, _Mein Freund_ , I’m sure Winston has it done by now! Perhaps you should stop by and see him. He may be a scientist but he can still be a little scatterbrained at times,” Reinhardt gave him a wink, Lucio nodded his head.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Lucio glanced down at his watch, 0950. He took a quick bite from his sandwich and picked up the bowl and spoon. “I’ll pay him a quick visit!”

“Good! Go!’ Reinhardt cheered. “We shall see you when we gather for training then!”

Lucio smiled and nodded, spooning a bite into his mouth while making his way out the door. The voices from the table faded away, Reinhardt’s booming laugher the last to leave his ears.

He walked along near silently, the rubber of his shoes making quiet step sounds as he traveled along. He continued to eat the soup, the bowl warming his hands through the cold of the Watchpoint. Lucio gazed up at the sky and breathed out heavily, watching the steam of his breath float away. He had never really experienced multiple cold days on end in Brazil, and Reinhardt had told him it was only going to get colder as the days went by. Though he was not looking forward to being a human Popsicle, the thought of seeing snow and bundling up near a fire was strangely appealing. The image of Reinhardt in an ugly winter sweater flashed in his mind. He laughed to himself as he rounded the corner, colliding with the body coming around the other way.

Lucio was almost knocked onto his butt, spilling some of the soup on the ground as he tried to regain his balance. The hot liquid splashed, the other person grunted as they fell.

“W-woah! Sorry!” Lucio exclaimed, “I-I wasn’t looking-“

“Course ye’ weren’t,” Torbjörn’s voice spat out, Lucio froze up slightly as he looked down at the small man glaring up at him, picking himself up. Lucio was tongue tied, awkwardly extending out an arm to assist but the old man pushed it away.

“None of that, quit it,” He grumbled, brushing his pants off, “I’m old, but I ain’t broken,”

“R-Right…” Lucio stuttered. He looked down at the soup spilt on the ground, then back to Torbjörn. The older man cast his gaze down and away. Lucio opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Old anger bubbled low in his chest, but was overpowered by his current embarrassment.

“Well, move along,” Torbjörn spat suddenly, motioning with his hands for Lucio to leave, “Go on! Go!”

Lucio stared at Torbjörn with surprise for a moment. Torbjörn angrily shouted “Go!” one last time before Lucio finally jumped around Torbjörn and ran off down the hall, leaving the older man alone.

~ ~ ~

Lucio did not stop his brisk pace until he saw the door to Winston’s lab. He huffed out a few ragged breaths before stepping in. Along the way he had ditched the soup bowl, placing it on a cargo box. _I’ll get it later,_ he thought. After that interaction with Torbjörn, he was no longer hungry.

He stepped in carefully, his eyes coming to rest on the great ape sitting at the computer. He remembered the briefing from yesterday, with the possibility of Overwatch teaming up with Vishkar. Lucio puffed his chest for a moment, perhaps he would have a chance to voice his concern like Reinhardt had suggested. As he approached he noticed that Lena sat near him. He suddenly felt nervous, not wanting to bring it up with Lena here as well, so he decided to save it for another time, the small amount of confidence he built up faded away.

The two of them were chatting away, though it looked like Lena was doing most of the talking while Winston did most of the listening, but the two laughed together as Lucio approached.

“Oh hello, Lucio! What brings you here?” Lena greeted him with slight surprise, Winston turned on his tire seat to look at Lucio as well.

“Well, I wanted to see Winston,” Lucio replied, smiling. Winston nodded his head, getting up and off of his seat.

“Yes, I’m glad you stopped by. All modifications to your armor have been done,” Winston explained, sliding off of his seat and walking away from the pair. Lena and Lucio glanced at each other for a brief moment before following the scientist.

“Athena, Lucio’s armor please,” Winston called out above him, stopping in front of a blank piece of wall.

“Right away, Winston,” Athena’s calm voice replied overhead. From the wall a panel turned out, revealing the pieces of armor Lucio had left the previous day. Lucio jumped in slight surprise. Winston chuckled, motioning for Lucio to step forward and get his gear.

“I have gone over the entirety of the leg cages, making sure there is no faulty wiring, and also strengthened the grip of the feet so that you can ride along the walls much easier,” Winston explained as Lucio retrieved the leg cages.

“Sweet…” Lucio replied softly, starry eyed as he looked them over. Lucio noticed that Winston had polished it as well, the metal now shined brightly in the light.

“As for your Sonic Amplifier,” Winston retrieved it off of the wall, holding it out with two hands, “I increased the power of the overall regular shot and volume of the music. And that boom has been reduced into a smaller, more controllable blasts to push you away, or something else away,”

Winston handed over the Sonic Amplifier. Lucio placed the legs on the ground and took it into his hands.

“So if you made it smaller, what did you make bigger?” Lucio questioned, looking over the weapon in his hand. It was also shinier than before.

“Well… I added a new function to the Sonic Amplifier, called a ‘Sound Barrier’” Winston began, taking the weapon back in his hand, “You can use it when this small bar is fully charged,” He pointed to a small, digital gauge on the handle, “It is like the shock wave, but it amplifies your music instead, creating a shield for anyone within range,”

“That’s amazing, Winston!” Lucio laughed, taking it back into his hands, “Man… This is so great! How can I ever thank you enough?”

Winston laughed, embarrassed, “Oh, n-no need,”

“We are a team, we have to work together and help one another,” Lena chimed in, leaning against Winston on her elbow.

“Well, I’m really looking forward to training now!” Lucio bounced on the balls of his feet. He glanced back up at the two of them, “What _is_ the training exercise today?”

Lena and Winston looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation as weather to tell him or not. Lena shrugged, causing Winston to chuckle.

“Well, it will be duet training,” Winston explained, “Two people will be put together and will be tasked with taking out drones,”

“It will be a way to determine who works well together, and who doesn’t! It is helpful when putting together teams for mission,” Lena continued, “So, anyone in particular you hope to be paired with?”

“Oh, Uh…” Lucio blinked, not expecting the sudden question, “W-well… Anyone really, I’m willing to try whatever you throw at me!” Lucio laughed, a slight nervous edge to it. Lena smiled warmly.

“Well, just remember it’s only training, and not everyone compliments the others fighting style. Some will work great, others not so much,” Lena stepped forward and pat his shoulder, “It’ll be fine! Now, don’t tell anyone when you leave the lab, alright? It was supposed to be a surprise,”

Lucio nodded his head in understanding, drawing a zipper over his lips “My lips are sealed,”

“Well, go on then!” Lena giggled, “We will see you at training!”

Winston helped Lucio pack up his equipment in the duffle before Lucio departed, sending him on his way with a friendly farewell. Winston returned to his seat at the computer, sighing out quietly. Lena came up behind him.

“What’s wrong, big guy?” She questioned, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. Winston turned his head to look at her.

“It’s… The agreement with Vishkar. I know Lucio hates the idea,” Winston sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose, “Vishkar has agreed to help when we arrive in Rio, only if we do something for them,”

“And… what would that be?” Lena asked cautiously, trying not to jump to conclusions.

“Vishkar has an agent they would like to send to help Overwatch. She would become a member, possibly a permanent addition, to the team,” Winston explained, “Meaning that Vishkar will have a say in whatever Overwatch does, as well as request us to do missions for them,”

Lena looked over Winston’s face, worry was etched in it, “Oh,”

“‘Oh’ is right,” Winston sighed, “I’m still not sure. Obviously I cannot ignore what Vishkar does, what they have done. But what they can do for us…” Winston trailed off, turning away from Lena. His voice lowered to a whisper. “I wish Jack was here. He would know what to do,”

Lena gazed at Winston with sadness in her eyes. Winston seemed to always compare what he was doing to what Jack would do better if he was still alive. She suddenly rushed forward and hugged his huge form, causing the great ape to jump slightly in surprise.

“I know its hard being the leader now, Winston. Jack… Jack would be proud of what you are doing,” She hugged him tight, voice soft and sad. Winston sighed, placing a hand on one of hers. She let go slowly, coming around to his side. “You’re doing what nobody else is willing to do. It’s admirable,”

“Thank you, Lena,” he said quietly, the two stared at Athena’s screen, the mission details for the trip to Rio were laid out, “I hope… I hope I am doing what is right,”

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Kudos is enjoyed, comments keep me going! Suggestions? Critique? Did I do something wrong!? Please let me know!!!
> 
> And as always, thank you so so so so soooooo much for reading <3 <3 <3


	7. Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team trains, the team breaths a silent sigh of relief.
> 
> And dreams. There is that too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay for starters I am so sorry it took so long to get this out. I was doing those halloween writings for a while, then midterms. the election, holiday... I got busy lets say that. Thank you so so so so SOOO much for your patience.
> 
> Also, how about that new playable character Sombra??? I love her. I lover her so much.
> 
> So! I hope you like this chapter. I really enjoy this one. Plus it touches on the feelings of Reinhardt and Lucio and what they may feel for each other >w> I had fun writing this chapter.

Why do people always assume that hackers are people in hoods, sitting in a pitch-black room with a single laptop behind locked doors? Sombra didn’t know where that stereotype came from. Being the greatest hacker in the world… It did not describe her style at all.

She sat in front of the multi-monitor setup in her personal quarters, watching the screens scroll through information as she painted her nails a bright magenta. The room was lit by an overhead fixture and the door was open, leading out to the rest of the Talon headquarters. Sombra blew gently on her freshly painted nail, placing the brush back in the bottle before tapping a few times on the screen, returning to the puzzle she had yet to crack; _Athena._ Sombra sighed, leaning back in her seat.

“Okay, _chica._ _Vamos a intentarlo de nuevo..._ ” Sombra raised her hand forward, tapping Athena’s symbol. All the screens lit up with different numbers and algorithms, trying every possible solution to get through. If Reaper had succeeded with at least accessing Athena’s main frame, this would have been easy. Now, it was left to her to do it manually.

Sombra leaned forward again, flipping through the screens and clicking along, trying to see if there was anything she had missed, _anything_ at all, to no avail. Athena really did seem god-like for a computer system. But everything could be hacked eventually, she just needed more time.

‘Denied’ symbols and ‘Failure’ notifications soon filled all the monitors again, causing Sombra to groan in frustration. She slumped back into her seat, looking at her nails again. She swiped her hand quickly in front of the screens, closing the program.

“Well, that failed… **_Again_** ,” Sombra grit her teeth for a moment, “Well… Let’s see what everyone else is doing,”

Sombra flipped through the video camera feeds of the talon base, looking around. A few people were eating, one sleeping on the couch. Reaper was sitting with Amélie; _Widowmaker_. The two were chatting quietly while Amélie did a bit of maintenance on her equipment. No surprise, the two had an interesting history. Plus, neither of them wanted the other dead. That was pretty rare around here.

“Boooring…” Sombra flipped off the cameras with a huff. She tapped her finger on her chin. She had yet to check the emails of some major companies in the world. Perhaps that would entertain her.

Sombra scrolled through various email accounts. International police, Lumerico, the Russian Defense force, Vishkar- _Hello,_ _Vishkar…_

“Ooh… What do we have here?” Sombra chuckled, tapping Vishkar’s symbol. The email files opened, revealing a message from a certain familiar primate.

“Let’s see…. ‘ _Overwatch will gladly meet you in Rio De Janeiro, but as for discussions about an…’_ Alliance? ‘ _That can be left for face to face.’?_ ” Sombra read the words twice over, a smile creeping to her lips.

“Well… What kind of questionable alliances are you getting yourself into, Overwatch?”

~ ~ ~

“Alright everyone! Line up!!”

The group shuffled awkwardly in a haphazard line while Winston and Tracer stood before them, standing tall and excited. Lucio rushed up into the line last, his equipment playing music quietly. Reinhardt looked down at him, appearing even broader in his armor.

“Ah, Lucio! Glad you could make it, I was getting worried!” Reinhardt whispered to him.

“Nah, just lost track of time. Takes a while to get this stuff on, ya’know?” Lucio tapped his leg as he laughed before getting a harsh “Shh!” from Tracer. Lucio looked up quickly, mouthing the word ‘Sorry’ to her. Lucio gave a silent sigh of relief when Tracer returned his apology with a wink.

“Alright, everyone, Winston is gonna pair you all up nice and pretty, and we will then start the training exercise!” Tracer looked to Winston with a bright smile, “Your turn, luv!”

“Right, when I call you names, come forward and stand next to each other,” Winston pushed his glasses further up onto the bridge of his nose, pulling a list out to read off of.

“Now hold on,” McCree interrupted abruptly, all eyes came to him. He held up a hand to stop Winston from speaking, hooking his thumb into one of the belt loops of his pants, “Now what exactly is it we are doing today? Y’all haven’t explained much,”

“O-Oh! My apologies,” Winston fumbled with the paper a moment, placing it on the ground, “Today, in teams of two, you will be going against simulation attack drones. The task is simple, eliminate all the targets in the shortest amount of time,”

McCree looked around him at everyone else in the line before giving a shrug.

“Alright. Sounds fair,” McCree drawled out before he gave a chuckle, “Carry on then,”

“Right…” Winston looked back down at the paper, “McCree, you will be paired with… Mercy,” Winston looked up upon reading the final name. Mercy and McCree looked to each other before exchanging brief smiles, stepping forward as the first pair.

“Zenyatta and Genji, you will be second,” The two joined Mercy and McCree, the pair seeming happy to be put together, “Tracer and I will be paired as well. Then…. Reinhardt and Torbjörn,” the older men exchanged a glance before grinning, walking forward as well. Lucio watched as his team walked away, Reinhardt looking over his shoulder at him before giving him an odd look, seeming to notice something off. Lucio rocked awkwardly on his feet.

“Uh, chief? I think you’re forgetting about me!” Lucio chimed, waving at Winston. Winston gave an embarrassed chuckle.

“Lucio, we have an odd amount of members, so you will get to pick your own partner after everyone else is done,” Winston explained, Lucio looked down at his feet.

“Hm… alright,” Lucio shrugged his shoulders, smiling confidently. He skated forward, “I get to pick, then. Eh?”

“Yep! But ya gotta wait, okay? Watching everyone will give you an chance to see who you may work well with!” Tracer explained, leaning against Winston casually. Lucio nodded in understanding. Tracer smiled brightly, turning quickly on her toe to everyone else.

“Well, who wants to go first then?” Tracer cheered.

~ ~ ~ ~

                Lucio was so awestruck watching his team do their trials, his own seemed to sneak up on him. McCree and Mercy worked together like they had for years (which no doubt they have), Mercy providing damage boosts while McCree shot the bots effortlessly. McCree almost seemed too relaxed, making jokes and small talk to Mercy as if they were sitting at the kitchen table, not in the middle of a training exercise. The two completed the trial in good time, but was quickly beat by Zenyatta and Genji. It was hard for Lucio to keep his eye on Genji, his movements were all a neon green blur. And when he was not trying to watch Genji, he was mesmerized by Zenyatta. The omnic floated and bounced around the field, it almost seemed hypnotic. His movements seemed to move as swift and languid as the air he glided across. The two complimented each other’s fighting style, and they praised each other across the field as the trial went on. They finished their trial almost a full two minutes faster than Mercy and McCree.

                Watching Winston and Tracer was also fast paced, the two jumping and leaping across the field, Tracer a blue blur and Winston a hurling mass. At one point, Tracer and Winston accidentally collided with each other, the ape knocking Tracer into a drone with a loud thud, both crashing to the ground. The apologies from Winston did not cease until their trial was over, Tracer insisting that she was fine, she recalled herself relatively quickly after it happened so that there was no bruising, but Winston seemed more than embarrassed for the rest of the time. To Lucio, the two worked together with great chemistry. He remembered seeing the news reports about the two of them fighting Talon at the museum. Watching them fight here reminded him of the video clips from the news reports he saw. The two shared an interesting wavelength.

                The pair that took the most amount of time was Reinhardt and Torbjörn. Reinhardt provided shield while Torbjörn built his turret and shot from under cover. It was a slow process, but eventually all of the bots were cleared. When Reinhardt finally lowered his shield he gave a boisterous laugh, rolling his shoulders.

“Excellent work, _mein Freund!_ ” Reinhardt cheered, resting his hands on his hips. Torbjörn scratched his beard, chuckling to himself as the two walked off the training field.

“It was slow, but we got it done,” he mumbled under his breath as the pair joining the rest of the team.

“Great work, you two! You gave a great example of a good defensive strategy!” Winston said, Tracer taking notes for him on his laptop. The scientist turned to Lucio, giving a toothy grin.

“Well, you are up next,” He chuckled, making his way next to the DJ, “So, anyone in particular you want to try the exercise with?”

“Oh, shoot! Uh…” Lucio rubbed his finger under his nose, gazing around the circle. He had been so consumed in just watching, he did not put much thought into who he would actually want to do the exercise with. He gave a chuckle to hide his nervousness, rocking back and forth idly on his skates. He looked over the group. Some smiled, Genji flexed his shoulders, others just kinda stared back with pleasant yet slightly tired expressions. Torbjörn did not make eye contact.

“Take your time to consider, Lucio. There is no rush,” Zenyatta encouraged, the orbs floating around him seemed to resonate a calming bell tone. Lucio sighed, giving him a brief smile before looking to Winston. again.

“I don’t know… Who do you suggest, Winston?” Lucio chuckled, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

“Well…” Winston took the laptop from Tracers outstretched hands, “According to my notes, as a mobile support unit… perhaps working with some of our slower members who can attack, such as myself, McCree, or… Reinhardt. That may be an effective battle strategy,” Winston read from his notes as he spoke, casting his gaze back to Lucio while pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Lucio rested his hands on his hips, nodding in understanding. He turned to Reinhardt, smiling wide.

“How about it, Reinhardt? Think we can beat you and Torb’s time?” Lucio glanced at Torbjörn as he spoke, his mischievous grin was met with a questioning glare. Reinhardt gave a hearty laugh, stepping forward. His helmet was in his hand, but from Lucio’s position it was still a little hard to see his face.

“Well, let us give it a try!” Reinhardt chuckled, nodding his head in agreement.

“Alright!” Winston smiled excitedly, “Get in position, then!”

As the two made their way to the entrance of the training area, Winston grabbed Lucio by the arm.

“Hey, if you can… Try that new feature, yeah? Haha!” Winston’s ever growing smile widened even further when Lucio gave a thumbs up.

“You got it, chief!”

~ ~ ~

“The training simulation will begin in 30 seconds,” Athena’s calm voice informed the pair as they stood together. Lucio gazed back up at the viewing platform. Tracer and Mercy waved, McCree gave a loud whistle.

“Good luck you two!” Tracer called. Reinhardt gave an amused laugh, waving back up to them before turning to Lucio.

“Nervous?” He asked, Lucio seemed to be unable to keep still. He looked Reinhardt up and down before finally giving a small nod

“Yeah… Yeah, little bit,” He laughed nervously. “What if my tech malfunctions again?”

Reinhardt gave a small snicker, “Do not worry, Winston is a thorough worker. Your tech should work twice as well!”

“10 seconds remaining,” Athena’s voice informed. Reinhardt turned towards where the bots would be emerging.

“And do not worry my friend!” Reinhardt put his shield up, his other hand tightened on the hilt of his maul, “I will be your shield!!”

Lucio looked up at Reinhardt with a gaze of wonder as Athena counted down from 5. He nodded his head, reassuring himself mentally that he can do this. He flipped the music on his speaker to his healing song, the music resonating through the space.

“Trial begin, attack,” Athena announced, bots started to file through the doors. Reinhardt block the shots of the first few before giving a battle cry, charging forward with a mighty swing. He swatted three aside like flies. Lucio cruised behind him, shooting any bots that got to close and pushing them away. Every time a bot was destroyed Reinhardt laughed a little at the satisfying crunch. Lucio raised the volume of his music, the audio blasting out of his speakers and healing any damage the two had received even faster.

“Thank you, my friend!” Reinhardt called before shooting a fiery blast at two bots in the distance.

“Yeah, no problem!” Lucio bounced around him, riding along the wall as he shot at bots, sending them flying towards Reinhardt’s swinging hammer. Suddenly the bar on his Sonic Amplifier caught Lucio’s eye, blinking brightly. Lucio leaped off the wall, skating his way backwards towards Reinhardt.

“Hey Reinhardt! I’m gonna try something new, alright?”

“What?” Reinhardt called over the sound of crunching metal, glancing at Lucio while he put his shield back up to block more shots.

“Uh- Just trust me!” Lucio said not so confidently, clicking the new button on the Sonic Amplifier. The weapon pulsed as if it had its own heartbeat, the speaker glowing brighter.

“Lucio! Slam it on the ground!!! The ground!” Winston called out the instructions from where he watched, Lucio looked back up before nodding.

“Alright… Let’s break it down!” Lucio jumped up before slamming the speaker into the ground. He would have heard his team gasp if not for the intense rush of wind in his ears mixed with a blare of music. The ground shook and pulsed with energy as the shockwave splayed out. Lucio swung himself up, spinning rapidly just in time to see Reinhardt cheer, attacking with new found vigor and strength. Charging through the wave of bots as easily as a bowling ball through pins. Lucio shouted out a laugh, changing his music to the speed increasing song, rushing up next to Reinhardt.

It was a flurry of movement mixed with laughter and crunching metal. It all seemed blurry, to fast, too much. Lucio didn’t see the hit but he was hit by something. His heart skipped a beat, his feet lost their balance. In a panicked attempt to save himself he pointed his amplifier out and pulled the trigger, causing a large sort of “Bop” sound to resonate. When he looked back up he watched as the blast sent Reinhardt flying backward. Lucio gasped, rushing forward on his skates as Reinhardt landed back on the ground, falling to his knee. The training simulation be damned, Reinhardt mattered more.

“Reinhardt, oh my god… Are you okay?” Luico slid on his knees up to Reinhardt where he knelt, the older man’s heavy breathing could be heard through his helmet. Reinhardt was looking at the floor, his hammer on the ground at his side. Reinhardt’s large hands came up to his head, removing the helm. He shook his hair slightly, it was all twisted up and some of it stuck to his forehead.

“Lucio…” Reinhardt whispered, his eyes finally coming to meet the DJ’s. Dozens of bad scenarios went through Lucio’s brain. “D-Did I break your armor? A bone? Something?” when Lucio’s questions were not met with an answer, He growled, grabbing Reinhardt’s shoulders.

“Reinhardt! Are you oka-!!!” Lucio was silenced by a bear hug, his feet no longer on the ground as he was spun in a circle. Reinhardt’s laughter was all he could hear as he was crushed against the crusaders chest.

“ _Mein Freund_! That was amazing!!!” His voice boomed. Lucio could not hold his laugh as a happy tear streamed down his cheek.

“W-Were you hurt??” Lucio croaked out. Reinhardt placed the smaller back on the ground.

“No! No, not at all. That first blast, I feel… I feel amazing! Like I can take on the world!”

Lucio could not stop laughing, wiping his eye of tears. Reinhardt leaned down to look at Lucio more clearly.

“ _Freund_ , why do you cry? We completed the test!”

Lucio gazed around suddenly, remembering ‘ _Oh yeah, we were doing that’_. He sighed before smiling wide.

“I’m glad you are okay, man!” He tried to hide his brief sniffle, rubbing his eye again, “I thought I hurt you for real this time…”

Reinhardt blushed, but before he could respond the two of them were interrupted by a sudden scream.

“YEAH!!!! WOOOO!” Trace tackled Lucio, causing the smaller to scream in surprise as they both tumbled to the ground, laughter following quickly after. The rest of the team came down, all seeming to share the same level of excitement.

“Winston! It worked!” Lucio called from the ground where he now lay with a giggling Tracer.

“I saw!” Winston grinned, “And you made excellent time!”

“ _Was_? Did we now?” Reinhardt questioned, turning to the scientist.

“You did.” Genji’s calm, semi-robotic voice seemed to cut through the air like butter, “You just barely beat me and Master Zenyatta’s time,”

“Well done, you two!” Zenyatta’s bright voice praised, Lucio raised himself up off of the ground, smiling wide. He took a brief bow.

“Thank you, thank you,” He smirked, bumping Reinhardt’s arm, “Guess we make a pretty good team, eh?”

Reinhardt could not hold his smirk back, a tinge of blush still on his face.

“Yes, I suppose we do,”

~

It was annoying to wait for everyone to finish up in the showers after dinner, before he could shower himself. But hiding the fact he was an amputee required it. He wished that his bathroom had a shower.

Reinhardt was the last to leave. He looked down at Lucio siting on the bench outside, scrolling through his newsfeed on his phone. Reinhardt tapped the top of his head, causing the smaller to jump in surprise. Reinhardt chuckled.

“The shower is empty, _freund_. You can go in now,” Reinhardt informed him, his smile warm.

“Ahh… thanks, Rein,” Lucio jumped up, grabbing his shower bag.

“Want me to wait for you out here?” Reinhardt asked, Lucio shook his head.

“Nah, I’m good. You go on and get some sleep,” Lucio shrugged, waving to the older man as he watched him walk away. Lucio let out a deep sigh, walking into the shower area.

It was wide open, only a few curtains if one wanted a bit of privacy, but otherwise it was communal. Lucio picked a corner shower, stripping off his clothing and tucking his dreadlocks in a shower cap before setting the water to steaming hot. He turned slowly, allowing the strong spray of water to wash over his muscles, relaxing and loosening them. He sighed out in relief, grabbing a bar of soap and running it over his limbs. He slowly washed each body part, stopping when he got to his knees.  He stared down at the metal limbs with a melancholy expression. Sometimes, if he didn’t focus too hard, he swore he could feel his phantom feet wiggling their toes.

_If you hadn’t been so careless, it would have never happened._

Lucio pushed those negative thoughts away before they could overtake his brain, instead beatboxing while his mind wandered to the training session of earlier. The satisfying crunch sound of Reinhardt’s hammer against simulation drones, his laugh, his _smile_. Even with helmet hair he was still ruggedly handsome. Lucio could feel his cheeks grow warm from blushing. Reinhardt was a good looking guy, he couldn’t lie about that. But there was something else about him that seemed to warm Lucio at his core. He was genuine, he was jolly. Strong and muscular… And _big_ …

Lucio shook his head again, reaching out and turning the waters temperature down in an attempt to chill out what was stirring down south. _Let’s not get too excited_ , he thought.

Besides, Reinhardt was way too chivalrous. Lucio didn’t mind the age gap, Reinhardt’s heart and soul was much younger than his body. But he had a feeling… Reinhardt would never make the first move, even if he did like guys in the first place. Lucio rubbed his arms hard due to the chill of the water, huffing out. He’s too nice, he would probably think Lucio deserved something different.

Lucio quickly finished washing the soap off of his body, flipping the shower head off before wrapping himself in his large, fluffy green towel.

He was quick to dry and get dressed again, finally moving to the mirror and removing his shower cap. He readjusted his hair until it laid just right on his head before drying his shower stuff, packing it all up, and making his way out of the bathroom. After such a hot shower in the warm bathroom the brisk air caught him off guard. Over his clothing he wrapped his half-wet towel around his shoulders, hugging it close as he made his way back to his room. As he went, he stared up at the sky of twinkling stars hanging high above. Everything was different about the Watchpoint in comparison to his home, even the stars. Lucio took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp autumn air. All in all, he was glad the day went as well as it did. After training Reinhardt and McCree cooked dinner for everyone, this time making Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. Lucio had never had it before so instead he watched, taking in the delicious aroma. Once he got it he may have had too much fun dipping his sandwich into his soup, ending up slashing it on the table at some point.

Lucio laughed to himself as he walked, rubbing his arms to warm himself up. He was nearly back to the stairwell when he heard footsteps. He slowed his pace, gazing around to see if he could find the source of the sound until he turned around completely, looking down the walkway to see Torbjörn.

The both of them froze, awkwardly staring at each other from a distance. Lucio glanced away, he was just a few feet away from the stairwell. When Torbjörn did nothing Lucio started to take a step away.

“No, wait!” Torbjörn suddenly called, jogging his way over. He huffed slightly when Lucio retracted his step, drawing his towel more completely over his form.

“Uh… Um, good job today!” Torbjörn suddenly spat out, Lucio blinked in response, staring back at him quizzically. The older man ran a hand through his hair, not making eye contact. His body language was awkward.

“Um… Thank you,” Lucio drawled the words out slowly, remaining still. Torbjörn laughed nervously, glancing up at Lucio a moment before looking back down.

“Um. Well… _Skit,_ ” Torbjörn cursed under his breath, resting his hand on his hip. He sighed out exasperatedly. Lucio raised a brow before his gaze was met with Torbjörn hard stare.

“I wanted to apologize to ye’,” Torbjörn finally said, shifting awkwardly on his feet, “It was… rude. O-Of me! Rude of me to assume s’much of you so early on…” He ran his hand through his hair again, turning around and walking the other way. “Uh… that’s all,”

“W-wait!” Lucio lunged forward to stop Torbjörn from basically powerwalking away, grabbing him gently by the shoulder. Torbjörn froze stiff, turning to look back at Lucio. He was met with a cheerful smile.

“Thank you, Torb… Torbjerrn… Torberejern…. Torbjoorn?” Lucio flushed dark red, laughing, “I-I’m sorry, I-I can’t say…”

Torbjörn chuckled as he sighed out. “Its Torb-jörn. Torb. Jörn. ” He sounded out each syllable, Lucio repeating back after him.

“Well, Torb… Regardless, thank you,” Lucio smiled warmly, extending out a fist to the smaller man. Torbjörn took a moment to stare at it before he tapped it with his heavily modified arm.

“Well… Go on, get some sleep,” Torbjörn waved him off, Lucio quickly waved goodbye before he ran off to the stairwell. Torbjörn gave one last, relieved sigh before he set back off again.

o O o

Reinhardt sat in his room quietly, reading a book he could not quite get into just yet, but he was trudging through the slow beginning. As if by a miracle, a quiet hand knocked upon his bedroom door.

“Oh, come in!” Reinhardt called from his bunk, not moving from his slightly reclined position. Reinhardt watched as the doorknob turned, folding the corner of his page and gladly setting down the book as Lucio stepped in. He was wrapped in a blanket, eyes big and staring, nervous. Reinhardt sat up, confusion hitting him.

“Lucio? What is wrong? You look upset,” Reinhardt questioned as Lucio walked up to Reinhardt. He moved right in front of him, his knees touching Reinhardt’s legs, barely allowing any space between. He tugged the blanket closer around him.

“Bad dream,” Lucio mumbled, “Could I spend the night here?”

Reinhardt blushed, stammering out his words, “W-why, sure! Just let me make a bed for myself-” As Reinhart tried to raise himself off the bed, Lucio gently pushed him back down, hand on his shoulder.

“No, lets share a bed,” Lucio’s voice was oddly calm, his eyes glassy now with a look of desire for something. Reinhardt’s heart skipped a beat.

“Lucio-?” His words were caught in his throat as Lucio climbed up onto his lap, straddling his hips. Lucio removed the blanket from his shoulders, revealing that he was only wearing a pair of black boxers with an electric green waistband. Reinhardt raised his hands away from Lucio but the smaller grabbed them, placing them on his hips firmly.

“Lucio, what are you doing…?” Reinhardt mumbled, trying to keep his eyes on the smaller man’s face but it was hard to focus. Lucio whined, rolling his hips down onto Reinhardt’s groin

“Please…” Lucio begged, his hands tracing over Reinhardt’s pectoral muscles. “Keep me warm, Reinhardt,”

Lucio’s voice was breathy and needy. Reinhardt could feel sweat forming on his brow, his chest tightening as Lucio gave the most alluring whimpering sounds. Reinhardt’s hands became shaky, massaging into Lucio’s skin. He pulled away, pulling a whine from Lucio’s lips.

“No… This is not right, this can’t be happening…” Reinhardt looked away, allowing Lucio access to Reinhardt’s neck. The smaller man kissed up and down, Reinhardt gripped the bedsheet below him, holding his wavering breaths as the smaller man’s lips traveled across his shoulders.

“Do you not like this?” Lucio asked, his voice sounded so sad, so disappointed. Reinhardt’s heart was tugged in just the right way to make him feel awful. Reinhardt looked back at Lucio, his hands coming to cup Lucio’s face.

“I… I can’t,” Reinhardt sighed out, “I shouldn’t,”

“Nobody will know,”

“That’s not the point,”

Lucio whined as he pressed his hips down against Reinhardt again, moaning lightly. Heat was pooling down below, Reinhardt’s heart was thundering in his ears.

“Please, Please…” Lucio’s grip on Reinhardt tightened, pleading between moans. Tears started to swell in Lucio’s eyes “I want you, _I **need** you. Reinhardt_ ,”

“Lucio… Please, do not cry,” Reinhardt quickly wrapped his arms around the DJ, hugging him against him. Lucio sobbed, hiccupping in Reinhardt’s ear and trembling in his arms. “Please, it hurts my heart to see you so,”

Lucio hugged Reinhardt as best he could, his arms not even coming all the way around his thick frame. When Reinhardt finally pulled away Lucio stared up at him, suddenly wrapping his arms around Reinhardt’s neck and pulling him in for a kiss. It was intense, Reinhardt’s eyes shot open wide. Lucio’s lips were so soft in comparison to his own. Reinhardt did not dare move, slowly closing his eyes as Lucio seemed to break his barrier. He melted into it, arms pulling Lucio close. Reinhardt could feel Lucio’s tears smudge onto his face. When they finally separated, he ran a thumb under the smaller man’s eye.

“Reinhardt…” Lucio breathed out, the larger man was shaking.

“Y-yes?” He was losing his composure, his control. Lucio gave a sheepish smile.

“ _Wake up._ ”

o O o

Reinhardt jolted awake, heart hammering and gasping for breath. He quickly jerked his head, looking around the dark bedroom, rubbing his eyes. He was alone in his room. He looked down at his watch, it was barely 0100 hours.

“It was… it was all a dream…”

Reinhardt sighed out in relief, flopping back down on the bed with arms spread out wide. He smacked himself in the forehead, how could he dream such a thing! Sure, he had had very rare sensual dreams in the past before about movies stars, but never… _Never_ about someone had he known personally. And especially his friend, and one so much younger. Reinhardt groaned, trying to close his eyes again, but he seemed unable to relax. The warmth pooling in his groin would not go away. He raised his head to look down at himself, in his pants a very obvious tent had formed.

“ _Oh, Gott verdammt noch mal!!!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Deep inhale* HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOI
> 
> Hope you liked it. Comments and Kudos are so so so appreciated. Liked something? Disliked something? Let me know!
> 
> Tumblr: letmeshinebright


	8. Traveling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission team sets off towards Rio!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO UH.... Finals, yeah! University finals this month (for me at least), so I had this short lil' chapter done and I thought maybe y'all would like it, maybe help you relax/procrastinate this week.
> 
> Also, had to listen to some music for this chapter and man... Reinhardt has good taste in music
> 
> >:3c
> 
> enjoy

The sound of drills going woke him abruptly from Lucio’s afternoon nap.

Lucio jerked himself up with a startled grunt, rubbing his eyes. The sound of a whirring power tool could be heard just outside of his open doorway. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, swinging himself off the bed to stand. He had left his prosthetics on and was wearing longs pants in his sleep ever since Reinhardt knocked his door down the week before. He didn’t want a teammate walking in on him and seeing him without his legs.

Lucio was met with the sight of Torbjörn crouched down right outside the door, Reinhardt standing behind him, holding the door in place. Lucio quickly slipped on his pair of slippers before walking over.

“Uh… guys?” Lucio shouted over the sound of drilling, voice revealing his annoyance and slight confusion. Reinhardt smiled down at him.

“Hello!” Reinhardt greeted him enthusiastically, Torbjörn looked up at him, pausing his work before nodding and continuing. Between his teeth were three long screws.

“Uh… I was sleeping?”

“Well you should be getting’ yer butt ready for yer mission,” Torbjörn managed to say through the screws he held in his teeth, pulling the drill away. It revealed a screw was put in place. He grabbed the second one and commenced drilling in that one. Lucio put a finger over his ear.

“I am ready! Just getting some sleep in before we leave,” Lucio groaned, Reinhardt chuckled.

“There will be plenty of time to sleep on the ship to Rio, Lucio,” Reinhardt explained, but his expression was apologetic. Torbjörn handed the drill to the taller man as the two switched places, Torbjörn holding the door in place under Reinhardt while he used the electric drill to screw in the top two screws.

“I just… Well, why are you doing this now?” Lucio half chuckled, half sighed in annoyance. He was quite enjoying his dream, though his memory of it was already fading.

“Well, I was coming to check on you,” Reinhardt’s voice boomed even over the sound of the drill, screwing in the last screw, “On my way I ran into Torbjörn, and I have been meaning to fix your door for you…”

Lucio blushed, stuttering out his words, “Aw, w-well… I-I was gonna do it, ya know,”

“But ye’ hadn’t yet, and now it’s done,” Torbjörn and Reinhardt both moved away from the door, Torbjörn tested it by moving it back and forth in small movements, “And you’re awake now, too. So you can eat. The mission team is leaving in one hour, and you still haven’t-”

 “Alright, alright!” Lucio stopped Torbjörn before he could go on a tangent, “I’m up, I’m gonna get ready. Thanks, Torb,” Lucio looked up at Reinhardt with a slight grin, “Give me 5. Just gotta change, then we can get ready together?”

“ _Wunderbar!!_ I will wait for you out here,” Reinhardt cheered with a big grin across his face.

Lucio nodded his head, closing his now fixed door. He leaned against it, taking a deep breath. It had been a week of training and working. Torbjörn setting up defenses around the check point with Winston so that when near everyone was gone, the Watchpoint was not defenseless. It was a team effort, but the day had finally come for the team to leave and head off to Brazil.

It had also been a week of confusing feelings bubbling within Lucio. Ever since the training simulation, his thoughts about Reinhardt had really kicked his heart around. Every moment they spent together his heart rate would speed up. He found himself laughing more, blushing more, and abruptly excusing himself if Reinhardt ever used that really deep voice in just the right way… _God,_ _that voice_. It was embarrassing. And now Lucio was going to be on this mission with Reinhardt. Sure, others would also be coming with them, but he was still nervous. Did Reinhardt notice his odd change in character around him? God, he hoped not. He didn’t want Reinhardt to think less of him.

He felt like he was having a high school crush…

Lucio took a deep breath, changing into a pair of long, dark blue sweats, lime green tank top and dark green hoodie. Slipping on his trainers before he stepped back into the hallway, Reinhardt was leaning against the opposite wall, flipping through the newsfeed on his holo-watch. When Lucio came back into view he tapped it closed, his smile warm and welcoming.

“Ready? Winston will want us all well fed before getting on the vessel,”

“Ready?? Pfft, I was born ready!” Lucio brushed past Reinhardt with a confident laugh, walking down the hallway with a bounce in his step. Reinhardt following behind with a smirk. On top of his feelings, he was also excited for the mission. Not only was it his first official Overwatch mission, it was in his home town! How could he not be excited?

The two were greeted in the kitchen by Angela, Lena, and the smell of chicken noodle soup. Winston sat at the table, one hand holding a banana, the other typing on his computer. An empty jar of peanut butter sat in front of him as well. Reinhardt sat down next to him, greeting him with a cheerful smile and a clap on the back while Lucio sat at the high bar, sniffing the air hungrily.

“That sure smells good you two!” Lucio’s stomach gave a loud gurgle, the DJ placing a hand on his stomach. Angela gave a light laugh before setting a steaming bowl in front of him.

“Eat up, you! You will need your strength!” She gave a knowing smile, Lena blinking into the seat next to him to place a bread roll next to the bowl before blinking back to the oven to stir the pot.

“Thank you,” he breathed out before digging in, Reinhardt coming up behind him and sitting in the seat next to him. Lena set a bowl in front of the older man as well, bread roll already in the soup.

“Much obliged!” He thanked before digging in as well. The two ate in near silence besides the occasional slurping sounds and hums of content.

Lena joined Winston at the table, Lucio turning his head to watch her as she went before returning his attention to his bowl, but he listened to the two as they spoke.

“So, what’s the plan?” The brit chirped, looking at the screen.

“Well, after landing we will head to Vishkar. You and I will be meeting with Sanjay…” Winston glanced up at Lucio, who glanced at him over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, his shoulders tense. Winston swallowed before looking back to Lena. “Negotiations will start then,”

“Right! Sounds good then. And what after?”

“Well… That really depends on how the negotiations work out,” Winston closed his laptop shut, setting it aside. He leaned back in his seat, looking towards Lucio.

“So, Lucio… What is Rio like?”

Lucio choked slightly on his soup, Reinhardt patting his back lightly before Lucio gave him a nod to assure he was okay. He swiveled around in his seat to face Winston. He shrugged his shoulders, giving a sly smirk, trying to make it not obvious he was eavesdropping and judging Winston.

“Eh… Good people, good food, good atmosphere. You guys will love it!” Lucio swung his legs, the giddy excitement returning to him just thinking about returning to Rio. His speech was interrupted by the sudden clatter of Reinhardt’s bowl. Everyone’s eyes went to him.

“The time is nearing for our departure, Winston,” Reinhardt handed his empty bowl to Angela, standing up off the stool. “It’s time we get to the ship,”

Reinhardt looked from the table to Lucio, then back to Winston before giving a wink and walking out. Winston gave a nervous chuckle, raising himself up to stand.

“H-he is right…” he looked from Lena to Lucio. “Let’s get to the ship. Genji and Zenyatta are most likely done prepping.”

~

The whole team arrived at the hanger, but not all of them boarded. Genji and Tracer went to the cockpit immediately to start the ships engines. Zenyatta sat inside the hull in full meditation mode as everyone buzzed around him, his orbs emitting calming bell tones as they bounced through the air.  Winston and Reinhardt got the last of the heavy cargo onto the ship. Lucio placed his personal bag inside before going back outside, meeting the members remaining at the Watchpoint. Angela, McCree and Torbjörn stood at the bottom of the walkway leading up into the hull of the airship.

“How are ya feeling, kid? First mission,” McCree whistled when Lucio approached the trio, causing the DJ to smile gingerly. “You scared?”

“Nah, man…” He shrugged his shoulders bouncing idly back and forth on his feet, “Just not looking forward to sitting in that ship for hours,”

McCree gave a quiet chuckle while Angela gave a knowing nod.

“Yes, the plane rides can be a bit cumbersome. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stretch your muscles every once in a while!” Angela’s doctor voice came out, Lucio nodded his head in understanding.

“Yeah yeah, you got it!” He gave her a thumbs up. Angela folded her hands together in front of her.

“And please do be careful. If anything happens…” Angela’s voice faded out before she finished her thought.

“Don’t worry, Doc. I’ll make sure everyone makes it back in one piece!” Lucio caused McCree and Torbjörn to chuckle while Angela gave a worried expression through her smile.

“I’m counting on that,” She sighed before her gaze moved up and above Lucio to the airship. Lucio turned to see where her gaze met, Reinhardt and Genji stood in the doorway of the walkway.

“Lucio! Time to go!” Genji called over the engines as they began to whir and roar louder. Lucio nodded quickly, turning back to the trio.

“I’ll see you guys in a week!” Lucio sprinted away, waving behind him. Angela and Torbjörn waved as he ran, McCree cupped his hands to his mouth.

“Hey, don’t get in trouble without us!” McCree called after him, but his words were lost in the wind. Lucio leaped into the ship before the door started to close up. Reinhardt moved to a seat along the side, guiding Lucio with him.

“Buckle up, taking off is the trickiest part!” Reinhardt laughed as Lucio quickly sat on the seat and buckled the large safety harness around himself. His feet did not touch the ground and he DJ looked dwarfed in comparison to the man next to him. Genji had sat down next to Zenyatta, who was buckled in on the other side of the hull. Lucio gave a small wave at the pair, Zenyatta returned it with a peace sign.

Throughout the ship the com crackled to life before a voice could be heard.

“Hello? Is this thing working?” Lena spoke away from the mic for a moment.

“Yes, Lena,” Winston could be heard in the background, amusement in his voice.

“Oh good! Thanks,” Lena spoke again away from the mic before her voice came to full volume.

“Hello, Luv’s! Flight’s gonna be roughly around 10 hours. Sit back, relax, and I’ll let you all know when it is safe to be able to stand up and move around!” Lena’s bright voice informed over the com. The ship gave a sudden lurch, Lena could be heard saying, “Whoops, sorry-!” before her voice was suddenly cut off from the microphone. Lucio’s stomach dropped slightly.

Lucio gave a quick, deep sigh, swinging his legs idly. Reinhardt looked down at him from his spot.

“Nervous, Freund?” Reinhardt called to him, his voice still easily heard over the loud roar of the engines. The ship gave another lurch before there was an obvious feeling of rising. Lucio looked up at him, taking a moment before finally nodding.

“Yeah, a little,” Lucio’s stomach gave a backflip at the movement of ship as it accelerated. Reinhardt nodded his head in understanding.

“I would consider you a fool if you were not,” Reinhardt laughed, shrugging his shoulders, “Everyone is a little nervous, after all,”

Lucio nodded his head in understanding, looking around the hull again. All cargo was tied down so nothing would be knocked around during the flight. Across the way where Genji and Zenyatta sat Lucio could see that Zenyatta had re-entered into his meditation mode, now strapped into the seat. Genji seemed alert, but it was hard to tell with the mask covering his face. The mysterious orbs revolved around the pair of them. Resonating from them was a low, calming tone. Lucio took a deep breath, gripping the safety mechanism keeping him in the seat. In the harness he felt somewhat like a child, déjà vu feelings of carnival rides from his youth coming to him, the only difference was that the harnesses were set up on a bench to just swing down, not individual seats.

The four of them sat in near silence as they waited. Lucio’s eyes began to grow heavy from the constant motion. His head leaned against the seat, eyelids drooping though he struggled to keep them open, but he could not find sleep through the drone of machinery. He looked back up at Reinhardt, an earbud in his ear and his eyes were closed, breathing deeply. Lucio checked his pockets before he finally sighed out, looking towards his bag a few meters away from him safely tied down with the rest of the crew’s small personal bags. He could see his headphones tucked into the side pocket.

_Dang it._

From out of the corner of his eye, a soft yellow glow approached. Lucio turned his head back around, watching as one of Zenyatta’s orbs floated towards him, the calm bell tone still resonating through the air. Lucio looked to Zenyatta, who he assumed was looking at him.

“Try to get some sleep, Lucio, I hope this will help you,” Zenyatta did not seem to shout, but his voice cut through the noise of the roaring engines outside easily. Lucio mouthed the word ‘Thank you’ before resting his head against the seat again, his body felt like butter as the bell tone blocked out the rough sounds of the ship around him. His eyelids grew heavier, struggling to keep them open before finally drifting off to sleep.

~

It was the endless drone of sound that bothered him the most. Reinhardt had been on enough military airship flights to know exactly what to do; Headphones, at least 5 hours’ worth of content to listen to and you would be good to go. They were about 2 hours into the flight and the heavy duty seat belt had been lifted. Though he was no longer tied to his seat he did not feel like moving. Lucio next to him had remained slumped in slumber, Zenyatta had retracted his orb from the smaller man an hour prior, but he seemed to be knocked out cold. Lucio had pulled himself into the seat entirely, curling up for warmth. Reinhardt could not help but chuckle at the sight.

Ever since his… _sensual_ dream, Reinhardt seemed to notice everything about Lucio. The way he breathed out laughter as he spoke, how he tapped his fingers due to the fact he could not tap his feet. When bored, he would idly mess with his dreadlocks. The curvature of his biceps when the two worked out in the weight room, the rise and fall of his deep breaths when they did yoga. How he seemed to have an internal rhythm, his head bobbing to a hidden beat in seemingly quiet moment. The shine in his eyes when Reinhardt spoke, the snickers that came when he played videogames with Lena and Genji as McCree spectated behind them. The blush that would come over Lucio’s face if he spoke in a particularly low tone. On one occasion he even caught Lucio and Torbjörn working together on a small bit of repair to one of the watch point’s defense units, it looked like Lucio was explaining something to him. He noticed that whenever they got together Lucio’s shoulders became visibly more relaxed, his pupils a bit bigger against his dark chocolate eyes. Whenever the two departed, it almost seemed there was something on the tip of Reinhardt’s tongue that he dared not to say, and he was left with a small feeling of incompletion. He just hopped that his own occasional embarrassment and awkwardness was not noticeable.

And it was always at the worst moments his thoughts would go to his dream those few nights ago. Even if the two were lounging around on the couch memories of his dream would randomly return. The thoughts making his cheeks burn to a point where he would excuse himself to grab a drink, a book, go to the bathroom, _anything_ to get him away from Lucio for a moment. He had hoped that it was just a one-time weird dream, but his feelings, his heart… he could not shake it.

Lucio was capturing his attention.

He had already listened to his audio book, so he decided to flip to music. With a few taps to the screen he was listening of his favorite music, playing one of his favorite songs by David Hasselhoff – _Night Rocker._ He tapped his heavy boot against the floor as he absently mouthed the lyrics as the song played, his thoughts almost faded away. Soon the voice started to fade out, Reinhardt rested his head against his seat as the next song came on.

“ _Baby - now don't you cry. Think what tomorrow will bring…_ ”

Reinhardt gave a small groan, sinking into his seat as the music filled his ears. _Just what I need, a love song._ He huffed slightly, but continued to listen to _Days Of Our Love_.

“… _I feel the rhythm of love_ , _the power and the glory. Every time you call my name, for the rest of my life I'll remain…_ ”

Reinhardt looked down at Lucio curled up, the smaller man’s grip on his knees had loosened so he half hung off the seat. Honestly, he did not look that comfortable. Even in his warm apparel he could see he was shivering slightly in the seat. Reinhardt gently reached an arm around him, pulling Lucio to lean against Reinhardt’s side. Lucio’s hands folded into his chest as his legs fell back down to hang off the seat edge, shifting himself more into the larger man’s side comfortably. His shivers ceased after a few minutes, giving a satisfied sigh in his slumber. Reinhardt smiled to himself, leaning back as the song continued to play.

“ _These are the days of our love_ _, I wanna walk right beside you for all my life… These are the days of love…_ ”

The music changed again to quiet classical music, Reinhardt’s eyes drooped until he, too, feel into a gentle slumber with Lucio tucked against him. Unknown to the two of them, Genji smiled under his visor at the sight of the pair sleeping against each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did actually listen to a bunch of David Hasselhoff songs as I wrote this chapter.  
> Do I regeret it? Mmmm... No.  
> David Hasselhoff explain yourself for being a great singer
> 
> Song used - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v97Gz4Zzb8A LISTEN TO IT
> 
> Kudos is appreciated, Comments keep me going! Like something, dislike something? Let me know.
> 
> Again, sorry for it being a pretty short chapter. Hope my next one will not disappoint!! Lots of plotty goodness to come.
> 
> Find me directly at my tumblr! letmeshinebright
> 
> Find me on Twitter! @LeoRaTuba


	9. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Team makes it to Rio, but trouble follows Overwatch wherever it goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAAHA HAAHAH HAHAHA SO FINALS RIGHT. I hope everyone is done with Finals, and if you are not, I wish the best of luck to you! 
> 
> Happy Holidays! Here is a chapter for you! Hope you all like it, I really enjoyed writing this one. So much stuff!

****~ ~ ~

_“Getting tired, old man?”_

_“You wish.”_

_The two men were a tangled mess of limbs and muscle on the wrestling mat, Gabriel holding Reinhardt’s head in place in the crook of his elbow, pinning Reinhardt stomach-down to the ground with his leg between Reinhardt’s, pressing his knee into the older man’s back. Reinhardt gave a hearty laugh, Gabriel returned it with a huff._

_“What’s so funny?” He growled out, pressing him harder into the mat._

_“Oh, it’s just funny to me that you think you are winning,”_

_At that comment, Gabriel was taken aback, but his grip on Reinhardt remained firm. He gave a cocky grin._

_“And who says I’m **not** winning right now?” Gabriel gave an extra strong shove into Reinhardt, hitting him against the mat as he said those words. Apparent to everyone watching, Gabriel did look like he was winning, being on top of him with Reinhardt in a headlock, but the older man gave a false groan mixed with his light laughter._

_“ **Me**.”_

_In one swift motion, with more nimbleness than Gabriel expected from the brick wall of a man, Reinhardt completely flipped the two of them, pushing with the strength of 3 men up and sideways. He yanked his head out of Gabriels grip and instead flipped the script, holding Gabriel in a backwards headlock, pushing him stomach-side into the mat. Gabriel yelped as he was pinned. He tried to free at least one limb but Reinhardt’s grip was like iron._

_“What was that about **winning**?” Reinhardt whispered into Gabriel’s ear, the man growled in response, tapping his hand against the mat three times after a minute of struggle._

_“That is match point,” Ana called from her seat, applause rang through the room as the two got up slowly. “Well done, Reinhardt. That is 10 straight wins,”_

_Reinhardt rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles before he gave a sheepish smile, blushing. Reinhardt looked to Gabriel who had left the mat and walked over to the other side of the room._

_“Good match, Reyes! You made me break a sweat this time!”_

_Gabriel shot a glare across the room, Reinhardt held his gaze firm until the Blackwatch commander cracked a smile._

_“I’ll get you next time, Wilhelm,” He wiped his brow with a small towel, turning to face him before crossing his arms. Reinhardt rested his hand on his hip, huffing out a short laugh._

_“Ah, we shall see!”_

  * -



“Reinhardt… Reinhardt, wake up!”

Reinhardt lifted his head up and off of the seat, blinking a moment before looking fully at the source of the voice, removing his earbuds. Lucio was looking up at him from his seat next to him, his expression worried. He was holding his arm in both of his hands, shaking him briefly. Reinhardt cocked an eyebrow.

“What is it, Lucio? Have we landed?”

“What? Nah, just… You were making sounds. Thought you were having a nightmare ‘r something,” Lucio explained, “Are you alright?”

Reinhardt stared at him for a long moment before finally smiling, letting out a laugh. “Oh, my _freund_! It was just a dream, no nightmare! I promise you,”

Lucio gave a relieved sigh before sitting back down, swinging his feet gently. “Good! Well… you’ve been asleep for a while, only a couple more hours until we arrive,” He looked back up at Reinhardt before giving a big grin. “I’m so excited to show you around, man!”

Reinhardt returned the smile with a blush, “I’m sure it will be lovely. It has been a long, _long_ time since I have been to Brazil,”

“What? You’ve been there!?” Lucio exclaimed, turning his body more towards Reinhardt.

“Yes! Long ago, just a stop when I was in the German Army…” Reinhardt gazed out the window of the ship. “It was lovely, very colorful and bright, seemed as if there was not a care in the world…” Reinhardt turned back to Lucio. “Though I am sure that is different now,”

Lucio looked down for a moment, squeezing his knees with his hands, “Yeah…”

The two sat in silence, Reinhardt watched the mysterious orbs float around Zenyatta, their movement to a hidden rhythm mysterious and hypnotic. Shortly before Reinhardt awoke Genji had gone up to the cockpit, laughter could be barely heard all the way back from where they sat. Reinhardt sighed, gazing around. His eyes came to rest on his personal bag before an idea came to him. He picked himself up off of the seat with a groan, stretching his arms up above him as he walked over to his bag.

“How about a game of cards, Lucio?” Reinhardt called to him as he started to dig through his pack.

“Cards? Oh, yeah! That sounds fun,” Lucio smiled, looking to Zenyatta. “Hey, uh… Zen… Zen?”

Zenyatta slowly raised his head from his meditation, cocking his head at Lucio in curiosity

“Yes?” the reply was peaceful and dreamlike. Lucio was pretty sure Zenyatta could put anyone in a hypnotic sleep if he tried.

“Wanna play cards?” Lucio smiled at the omnic as he lifted himself off of the ground, floating just in front of Lucio.

“I would love to, I have not played cards in quite a while,” Zenyatta replied in a happy tone, his gaze moving towards the door to the cockpit. Genji had come back, his mask was removed.

“Genji, come! We are going to play cards,” Zenyatta beckoned him into the circle that was being formed. Reinhardt dragged a crate over and set it in the middle of the small circle that was forming.

“What game are you going to play?” Genji asked as he approached, Reinhardt shuffled the old cards in his hand.

“ _Steir Scheiße_ ,” Reinhardt chuckled under his breath as he started to deal out the cards, “I deal out the whole deck, and starting with Ace’s we go up through the numbers, through the royal cards and try to get rid of all of your cards, placing them face down in the middle,”

“But what if I do not have a number?” Zenyatta asked, the question sounding so innocent. Reinhardt, smirked, chuckling to himself.

“That’s where the _Scheiße_ comes in,” Reinhardt finished dealing out the deck. Lucio and Reinhardt picked up their cards, Zenyatta looked to Genji, his head cocked in confusion.

“You lie, master,” Genji explained, picking his own cards up carefully.

“Oh! This does sounds most fun,” Zenyatta picked up his cards gingerly, rearranging them in his fingers.

“And if you think someone is lying,” Reinhardt continued to explain, “Call them out. So, we begin with whoever has the Ace of Spades…”

~ ~ ~

Zenyatta ended up winning most every round, proving himself to be a surprisingly good liar and most devastating when telling the truth. Having no way to read his emotions provided a new level of difficulty, Genji being the only one brave enough to call him out which resulted in him adding over half of the deck of cards to his hand at one point. The multiple games they played carried them through until Lena’s voice crackled back onto the intercom.

“We are about an hour away from landing, luv’s! We will be beginning our decent! Strap yourselves back in right quick, ‘kay?”

Reinhardt scooped up the cards as the small group dispersed, setting whatever they had pulled out back in a safe spot before strapping themselves back in their seats. Lucio’s stomach gave a small lurch as he felt the ship descend from the sky. Butterflies fluttered through his stomach, drumming his fingers in excitement.

“Man, I am _stoked_ to get onto the ground…” Lucio said absently out loud, Reinhardt turned his head to look down at him. He gave a short nod in agreement.

“I could go for a meal… I knew I should have packed more than granola bars,” Reinhardt laughed at himself, his stomach giving a small gurgle. Lucio smiled at him.

“Once we land I’ll make sure you have the best food we can offer!” Lucio boasted, licking his lips before emitting a giddy whine, “Oh, I can already smell the _Acarajé_ from here…”

Lucio only seemed to get more and more excited with every passing minute until the ship finally touched down on pavement. As soon as the hatch was let down Lucio was running out of the ship. He breathed in deeply before letting out a joyful laugh.

“Oh, shit!” Lucio laughed, turning to look around at everything, “It is good to be back!”

They had landed a few miles away from the city itself, the skyline barely visible in the far distance across both land and sea. Around them was pavement and a secluded section of the airport, the sky clear and blue.

“Lucio! Come on, help us unload!” Lena shouted, Lucio turned on his heel to face the ship again.

“Ah, sorry! Got a little ahead of myself,” Lucio jogged back towards the ship, Reinhardt walked out to look around.

“Hmm… Does not look like Rio to me,” Reinhardt looked back over his shoulder at Winston. The Scientist had changed out of his armor and into more comfortable fashion. A White t-shirt with a blue planet design on the front and a pair of shorts no doubt custom made. Lucio held his laugh, it was odd to see him in such casual clothing.

“That is correct! We are at the airfield in Galeão. A car will be escorting us the rest of the way.

“A car?” Lucio questioned, crossing his arms across his chest. “ _Who’s_ car?”

Winston gave a nervous chuckle, pulling on the collar or the t-shirt he wore.

“Vishkar has offered… To escort us to and from Rio as needed while we are here for the discussions.

Lucio gave a low groan, waving his hands in the air in dismay. “Again with those creeps? Winston, **_please_** ,” Lucio turned back to face Winston. “You can’t be serious about teaming up with them. You _can’t_ ,”

Winston gave a long sigh, “It is just a car ride, Lucio. I have made no promises with them yet. I want to hear what Sanjay has to say,”

Lucio grumbled out a last “Fine,” Before moving to grab his personal bag. He slung it over his shoulder roughly before moving back out of the ship.

The group sat in suspense, waiting for a car to arrive. A truck came by to pick up the groups stuff, another gift from Sanjay, to transport their personal equipment to the Hotel the lot would be staying in. Lucio was reluctant to hand over his bags until Reinhardt convinced him otherwise.

“They are just moving the stuff. It will be with the rest of ours. It’s going to be fine, _mein freund_. If they sabotage it at all, they lose any hope of an alliance.” Reinhardt explained, kneeling down to be at eye level with Lucio. “And if they do mess with your stuff, they will have my hammer to answer to! _Haha!_ ”

Another 30 minutes and three white and pale blue SUV’s drove up to the ship. Emerging from one car came a man in a white suit. Dark skin unblemished and black hair slicked back neatly. His pristine white shiny shoes tapped quietly against the pavement as he approached the group.

“Mr. Winston, I presume?” The man asked, a hint of an accent could be heard in his words. “I am Raj. Mr. Korpal has sent these cars for you, he cannot wait to meet you in person,”

Winston looked to his team, who were all staring at him. Lena gave him a light bump on the arm, smiling gently.

“T-thank you. Sanjay- Er… _Mr. Korpal_ told me of the escort. Thank you,”

The man in the suit bowed slightly, “Of course, Mr. Winston. It is Viskhars pleasure-” His words were interrupted by Lucio, who gave a loud scoff. Raj’s icy cool stare came to rest on the DJ, Reinhardt stiffened behind him, standing even taller before placing a hand on Lucio, the pair glaring back in challenge. The gesture made Lucio feel much better, feeling his cheeks blush slightly. Raj looked away back to Winston, hiding his eye roll.

 “Please, let us get on our way. We do not want to waste any more time,”

Winston nodded in understanding, waving his hand to beckon the team to follow him to the cars. Lucio’s grip on his bag tightened, he gazed up at Reinhardt who removed his hand.

“I can stay with you, if you like,” Reinhardt offered as they approached the cars. Lucio nodded his head.

“Yeah… I don’t want to be left alone with these criminals,” Lucio looked down and away, scratching the back of his neck. Reinhardt gave a warm smile before placing his hand on Lucio’s back, his other hand tightened his grip on his duffle bag.

Genji and Zenyatta took the first car, Winston and Tracer took the second with Raj, and Reinhardt and Lucio took the third car. The interior was spacious enough that they both sat comfortably, even Reinhardt not as squished in as usual. Lucio took the window seat while Reinhardt took the two other seats. The driver was in a similar white suit, sunglasses covering his eyes.

“Hello!” Reinhardt greeted the driver with a friendly smile, but the driver only glanced into the rear-view mirror and did not reply. Lucio continued to stare out of the window, fitting his headphones over his ears. Reinhardt settled into his seat, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach as he leaned back.

The whole situation seemed to kill Lucio’s excitement, absently staring out the window as his home country whizzed by in a colorful blur. The city drew closer on the horizon slowly, but Reinhardt kept his amazed wonder to himself. The city had changed a lot since the last time he had been there, but it had also been over a decade so he was not _that_ surprised. The three cars drove in a line as they approached the city, moving together through traffic. The entire environment was so much different than the Watchpoint, with color and light and sound and wildlife. Reinhardt’s eyes seemed hungry to see everything.

It took some time but the three cars finally arrived, navigating the streets to get to the Vishkar corporate building located in Rio. Its shiny white walls gleamed against the afternoon sun like a doctors surgical light. Bright and harsh to the eye. The three cars parked in a perfect line, each driver stepping out of the car to open the back doors, standing silently in wait for each team member to exit the car. Raj stood next to the door, his finger coming to his earpiece phone before folding his hands behind his back.

“Mr. Winston, Miss. Oxton. Sanjay awaits your audience,” Raj’s looked to the remaining group, his nose crinkling slightly as if he smelled something bad when he looked at Lucio. “The rest of your… _Team_ … Can wait in our main lobby,”

“Hey hey, wait a minute!” Lucio objected, stepping forward. “The rest of us have every right to-!?” Lucio was pulled back by Genji and Reinhardt, grunting in protest before shooting daggers at Raj.

“Please understand, Mr. Santos, that your presence may cause… _Undesirable stress_ in such a meeting, as well as others who do not understand all of the details of the discussions…” Raj drummed his fingers together quietly, “And we do not need any more _bumps_ in the road, hmm?”

Lucio held his glare for a long moment before finally looking away, taking a step back.

“Fine, whatever…” Lucio mumbled under his breath, shoving his hands into his pockets. Raj’s lips curved into a thin smile before looking back to Winston and Lena.

“Mr. Winston, Miss. Oxton, follow me please,” Raj turned and started a brisk walk away. Lena and Winston gave the team one more glance before having to start a quick pace after him.

“D-don’t worry, fellas! It should not take too long…” Winston called to them, Lena blinking further ahead of him to walk with Raj. Zenyatta waved at them as they left, Genji rubbed his hand on Lucio’s back.

“Lucio? Will you be alright?” Genji asked, his voice filled with concern. Lucio glanced up at him before looking back down.

“This place makes my stomach sick,” Lucio spoke in a low voice, words spat out and bitter. Reinhardt’s eyebrows knit together in concern.

“Well… Why don’t we all wait outside, hmm? Blow off some steam,” Genji suggested.

“You could take me to get some of that, uh… whatever you called it, you were so excited! That food! I’m still starved!” Reinhardt pat Lucio’s back firmly, causing him to cough slightly before giving the smallest of grins.

“What, you mean _Acarajé?_ ” Lucio smile became wider, “Yeah… I know a place, makes the best on the streets!”

“Lead on, then, Lucio,” Zenyatta placed his feet upon the ground gently, folding his hands together in front of him. “Food seems like a most good idea for the three of you,”

Lucio nodded before leading them all out the door. The further they got from the Vishkar building, the more bounce returned to the young DJ’s step. As they walked, Lucio pointed to buildings and sights and gave little snippets about them, his words bubbling out so happily he flubbed his words, even slipping into Portuguese if he got too excited. Reinhardt had to keep reminding him to slow down to keep what he was saying understandable.

As they walked Reinhardt sent an email to Lena, explaining to her where the four of them went off to and why. He did not expect a reply, but one came fairly quickly of a little thumbs up Emoji. Reinhardt chuckled before closing his watches holo-screen to continue listening to Lucio speak about the music and culture.

They walked for many blocks before Lucio started to slow down. Reinhardt took a sniff of the air, and suddenly felt like he was drooling. Lucio grabbed Reinhardt by the arm and before he realized what was happening Lucio was dragging him across the street to a vendor truck.

“Ay, hello!” Lucio greeted the vendor, the young woman looked down from her high spot, pen and a pad of paper in hand

“Hi! What can I get you?” She smiled brightly, not seeming to recognize any of the group at first. She gave a glance around at the whole group before blinking.

“Hey… Aren’t you that… That guy?”

“What? What guy?” Lucio asked, unable to hide his smile, glancing back at Genji. The Cyborg seemed unamused.

“The ones fighting Vishkar!” The lady tapped her pen against her lip, “Yeah! Oh my god- You’re _Lucio!_ ”

“O-Oh! Yeah!” Lucio scratched behind his neck, laughing nervously.

“Where did you go? Who’re your friends?” The lady asked, looking at the group again. “Quite a group ya got with you!”

“What, these guys! Dude, we are Ov-!” Lucio was silenced by Genji’s quick hand over his mouth.

“We are tourists,” Genji replied, Zenyatta nodding his head behind him slowly. Lucio looked at Genji with a cocked eyebrow, confusion flashing across his face.

“Well… A friend of Lucio is a friend of Rio!” The lady laughed for a moment, “So… What can I get you?”

“We would like the, um… Akara… Akeraj… U-uh…” Reinhardt stumbled over the word.

“ _Acarajé_?” The lady asked sweetly, Reinhardt blushed as he laughed.

“Yes! Three of… That!” Reinhardt continued to laugh and joke with the woman in the truck as Genji pulled Lucio back and to the side.

“Hey man, what’s the deal?” Lucio asked hotly, straightening his shirt.

“The world does not know we are back, we are still outlawed,” Genji hissed through his helmet. “Do you know how many people she talks to every day? How many people are around us right now?”

Lucio gazed around the street, realizing just how busy it was. His eyebrows knit together.

“But they should know we are here, we are out there!” Lucio whispered back, gesturing to the street.

“Soon, Lucio,” Zenyatta placed a hand on Lucio’s shoulder, calming him. “But not yet. The water is still too hot to tread so quickly,”

Lucio sighed, running a hand through his dreads. “Fine, fine…”

When the three turned back to the truck, Reinhardt had the food in his hands, smiling wide.

“Enjoy your stay in Rio!” The lady in the truck called to them as they walked down the street, Reinhardt smiled and waved over his shoulder at her as they went. They walked together, Lucio scarfing down his own food while Genji and Reinhardt tackled theirs with caution. Genji ate his first, humming contently as he finished it off, licking his fingers. Reinhardt took a warry bite of his, chewing it for a moment before nodding his head.

“It tastes delicious! But I will need more than that to fill this stomach!” He pat his belly twice, laughing aloud.

“Oh! Well, we can go to a restaurant? Or-” Lucio’s train of thought was brought to a screeching halt when a scream rang out through the street.

The four of them all froze, looking back and forth down the street to try and find the source. From the north side people were rushing away, Lucio started to sprint towards the commotion.

“Lucio, wait!” Reinhardt called, Genji ran after him. Zenyatta followed behind. Reinhardt gave an aggravated sigh before running as well, pushing his way through the rushing crowd.

A loud boom followed, as well as a cloud of dust. Lucio skidded to a halt, eyes wide in shock at the sight. A store wall had been blown out of place, men and women in black uniforms and masks standing outside, guns at the ready pointed inside. Genji came to a halt next to Lucio.

“What the-?!” Lucio was cut off as Genji yanked him to the side, crouching behind a parked car.

“Stay here, and stay low,” Genji instructed, his shurikens popping up between his knuckles. Lucio looked from his hand to Genji’s face, nodding in understanding.

Zenyatta and Reinhardt rounded the corner, Reinhardt sliding across the pavement behind the car. Zenyatta floated behind silently. Reinhardt peaked out from behind the car, watching the group start to enter the store.

“Those guys look like…” Reinhardt started, eyes going wide.

“ _Talon,_ ” Genji finished, Reinhardt gave a low growl. “We are ready for battle, you two contact Winston and Tracer,”

Reinhardt gave a quick nod before the pair jumped out from behind the car.

Genji flashed across the street in a blur of green light, his shurikens streaking through the air before meeting their mark. Zenyatta sent his projectiles out, casting his orbs out one after another and moving through the flow of the air. The pair moved harmoniously, Genji’s lightning fast movements complementing Zenyattas steady flow. Clicks and bangs of gunfire were heard in an attempt to thwart off the Cyborg and Omnic, but to no avail. Lucio could not help but watch, Reinhardt pulling him back down, closing his holo-watch messenger.

“Keep your head down,” Reinhardt explained, pulling Lucio slightly under him, shielding him with his body. Lucio wanted to say something, but kept his mouth shut. They were so close, and if not for the danger of the situation Lucio would probably be embaressed, but instead his heart was racing from what was happening across the street.

“I’ll call Lena…” Lucio opened his holo-screen on his watch, Reinhardt nodding his head in understanding.

Reinhardt peaked over the hood of the car, eyes going wide as heavy boots were heard thundering across the pavement.

“ _Mein Gott_ …” Reinhardt whispered, he felt a chill go down his spine like an ice cold splash of water. Lucio struggled under Reinhardt’s arm

“Lemme see, lemme see!” Lucio poked his head out to see the mysterious horror before him.

Genji held his sword at the ready as black smoke twisted to life in front of the store, billowing out cold air and a dark, low laugh. It seemed as if time froze as the dark form emerged, his form concealed in a black cloak and hood. The metal plating running up his spine reflecting bright in the sun. Reinhardt shielded his eyes, the sound of clicking shotguns could be heard.

 _“Genji, Genji, Genji,”_ The form spoke, growling out a laugh, _“You seemed to have better luck than me, Hmm?”_

The black form laughed, bitter and cold, shivers ran up Lucio’s spine. Genji’s grip on his sword tightened.

“Reaper,” Genji hissed out, raising his blade higher. “ _Murderer,_ ”

Reaper growled, the movement was almost too fast to catch. Genji lunged forward, but Reaper’s trigger was faster. Genji fell backward, sword clattering across the ground. Genji cried out in pain, bright green ooze leaking out of his side.

Lucio tried to jump up but Reinhardt held him back.

“No! Stop it,” Reinhardt held Lucio down, whispering angrily “You can’t face him!”

“So you just want to leave him?” Lucio cried out. Reaper turned quickly to find the source of the shout but he was cut off by a sudden foot to his face, a loud crack rang through the air. Reaper cried out in dazed shock, hunching over to hold his face mask. Zenyatta drew his leg back and delivered one more brutal kick to Reaper’s stomach, knocking the man back and onto the ground, his shotguns clattered away from him to the ground.

“Genji!” Zenyatta rushed to Genji’s side, all of his orbs circling around him with a healing yellow aura. He held him in his arms, the cyborg groaned out, pressing down on his wound. Green liquid was quickly covering his hands.

Reinhardt looked out from behind the car, Lucio escaping his grip and sprinting across the street to Genji. Reinhardt jumped out from behind the car, looking to Reaper. The man tried to pick himself up but black ooze dripped to the pavement. He threw his face up, looking at Reinhardt for a moment.

The face mask was cracked, revealing a single dark brown eye glaring back at him. There was only hatred inside it, pure loathing and maybe fear. But suddenly a bitter laugh was heard.

“ _I’ll get you next time, Wilhelm. Remember?_ ”

 Reinhardt gasped before Reaper faded away into black smoke , then nothingness. Reinhardt fell to his knees in shock.

_No, it cannot be…_

“Lena, we need back up. Talon was here, but t-they are gone. Genji is hurt, we _need_ pick up! **_Pronto!_** ” Lucio’s voice felt distant, Reinhardt picking himself up, slowly approaching the guns left on the ground.  His mind was going 1000 kilometers a minute, time slow. He knelt down, picking them up with a shaking hand.

Someone was talking to him, telling him that they had to leave, but his ears were ringing. He looked around him, everything was too bright, to fast, too much. He could hear his heart hammering against his chest

_No, I buried you... I spoke at you funeral…_

_“Reinhardt! We have to move! Help us move Genji!”_ The voice again, distant, familiar. He moved absently, like it was all a dream.

“ _Reinhardt? Reinhardt!? Are you okay?_ ” Panicked. Lucio?

_No. I am not okay._

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3c
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos is appreciated, Comments keep me going! Like something, DISLIKE something? Let me know. Suggestions, wanna say hi, PREDICTIONS? Go ahead!
> 
> As always, I love you guys. and happy holidays!
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	10. Repair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Winston discuss with Sanjay the terms of agreement for an alliance, Genji needs healing, and Lucio expresses his worries to Reinhardt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for such a delay for this chapter. I've just felt... wildly uninspired, and the winter semester has started for me!
> 
> I feel awful for such a delay on this chapter, so I hope you enjoy. I hope its not to short :'(

“Winston, It is a pleasure to finally meet you,”

Lena would have found the sight of Winston shaking his huge hand with Sanjay humorous, if not for the multiple body checks, metal detectors and the confiscation of most of their personal items. Winston had only _just_ been allowed to keep his glasses on before they could even meet with Sanjay.

“Um, likewise, Mr. Korpal,” Winston offered a toothy grin. Sanjay returned it, it looking almost too pleasant on his face.

 “Please, call me Sanjay. We are equals here, no?” He folded his hands behind his back before gesturing to the door behind him, the glass walls revealing the long table within. Two Vishkar agents stood watch on either side of the door, white suits crisp and clean with silver and blue details. Eyes hidden behind sunglasses regardless of them being indoors.

“Please, follow me in to the conference room. We have much to talk about,” Sanjay led the pair into the room, the two guards following them in as they entered. Lena glanced over her shoulder at them, her teeth gritting together harder. Sanjay sat down at the head of the table. To the left was an overly large seat that seemed to be specially designed for Winston to sit in, and next to that was another regular chair. The rest of the room was empty. To the right of the table the wall was all one long window, looking out into the city of Rio de Jeneiro. Winston settled himself into his seat, Lena sitting quietly next to him, hands folded over her chest.

“So, Winston, let me start by saying how honored Vishkar is to have you come to us all the way from Gibraltar.  I assure you, we await Overwatches return as much as the entire world,”

“You’d be surprised how many don’t like us, then,” Lena chirped out almost immediately. Winston gave a heavy sigh, looking down as he pushed up his glasses.

“She is right, we are on thin ice, Sanjay,” Winston looked back up, gaze steady.

Sanjay nodded his head in understanding as he listened, “Yes, it is true that the PETRAS act outlaws Overwatches return, but if you do choose to ally with us we can give a large sway when faced with prosecution against the International Justice Commission,” Sanjay rested his fingertips together, fingers spread wide as he spoke, “Otherwise, no matter how good of intention your actions, you will be considered just as criminal as those two international thieves… What were their names? Junkrat and Roadhog?”

“I-I realize this,” Winston started, but Sanjay held up a finger and the scientist was immediately silenced.

“Even coming _here_ to us is a criminal act, Winston!” Sanjay’s smile seemed misplaced, demeanor calm. Lena’s eyes narrowed as Winston swallowed audibly, Lena glanced at his large hands as they fidgeted with his feet.

“Your lot would seem to know a bunch about criminal activities, wouldn’t you Sanjay?” Lena smiled back, leaning forward in her seat. Sanjay lowered back into his own seat, his growing grin fading.

“I can assure you, Miss Oxton, Vishkar only acts with the best of intentions for humanity-”

“And so do we, _Sanjay,_ ” Lena rested her hands on the table. She leaned further forward, almost standing as she spoke. She was not about to have this negotiator intimidate her best friend into submission. “So how about we stop chattering in bloody circles and get to the point. Tell us why we should even consider joining you, regardless of the news reports,”

Both Winston and Sanjay stared at her for a moment, Winston with a mixture of admiration and relief, Sanjay seeming somewhat annoyed.

“Of course,” Sanjay finally stated, swiveling in his chair until he had turned 180 degrees. He pulled out a small remote from his jacket pocket. He clicked one of the small silver buttons and the room went dark, the long window tinted black and blocking out the outside world. With another click on the remote a projector popped from the ceiling before the video feed came to life as a slideshow started to play on the wall.

“As you know, the International Justice Commission has placed the PETRAS act, keeping any Overwatch Activity outlawed across the world,” The Justice Commissions Logo came to life on the screen, as well as one of the original news reports from Atlas News, reading the headline _“Overwatch Disbanded!”_  The image showed a young, dark haired soldier being arrested. Lena gave a heavy sigh, hugging herself. Winston rested a hand on her shoulder gently. Sanjay glanced at them, before returning his focus to the screen.

“But with the help of Vishkar,” the screen shifted, showing Vishkar’s logo, a glowing white V with a diamond above, “We are a strong company that has been vital in the rebuilding after the Omnic Crisis, providing self-sustaining cities for the people around the globe who have been affected by the Crisis the most,”

Images popped onto the screen of the cities he mentioned, gleaming white in the sunlight. I showed happy people walking, shopping, and living at ease.

“And unlike _Hyde Global-_ ” The screen shifted again, showing an orange H logo next to an image of a building that looked as if it had taken 100 pounds of dynamite directly into its side, as well as a blurry news report image of two scavenger-like men driving away in a car. The thinner man looked as if he was laughing, the larger man holding on for dear life, but his face was covered with a mask so his expression was hard to guess. “- All operations that we conduct are kept within the company, no shady dealings with criminals-“

“No, instead you guys do all the dirty work yourself?” Lena asked sweetly. At that comment Winston gave her a quick look. Sanjay’s calm look turned irritated.

“Miss Oxton, I can assure you that there have been no confirmed reports of criminal activity within the Vishkar Corporation,”

“Yeah, none you have been caught doing-”

“Lena, please!” Winston finally interjected, voice booming. Lena straightened up in surprise, looking to him with a sort of “What?” expression.

“Please…” He looked at her with a pleading expression, then back to Sanjay, “Continue,”

“Thank you, Winston,” He glanced at Lena a last time before looking back to the screen. Lena slouched down in her seat, crossing her arms.

“In the eyes of the Global Justice Commission, we are a trustworthy and respected group. Our voice is one that is very persuasive in decisions. With our assistance alone, we can have the PETRAS act retracted,”

“That is what I like to hear,” Winston smiled, “But… I assume you will not do it for free,”

Sanjay smiled, clicking the projector off. The lights slowly came back and the window returned to its original see-through appearance. 

 “I would not word it like that, Winston. It would be an alliance, you see. The trade would be equal” He turned back around in his chair fully, resting his hands on the table, fingers laced together.

“In exchange for Vishkar’s assistance in assuring that Overwatch will no longer be outlawed, we would like you and your heroes to do some things for Vishkar,”

“Such as?” both Lena and Winston asked at the same time.

“Oh, nothing large. After the conference with the Commission, you speak to the press and tell them that Vishkar helped you and that you trust them. Our label on your uniform-”

“Hold on, you want to brand us?” Winston asked, raising a hand to silence Sanjay.

“We aren’t walking advertisements!” Lena’s jaw just about dropped at the thought.

“Winston, Miss. Oxton, Please!” Sanjay raised his hands to quiet the pair. “It would be nothing large or extraordinary. Besides, my higher ups only said that it was a _possibility_ …”

Both Lena and Winston glanced at each other before settling back into their seats.

“There is one more thing that I know they _will_ require for the alliance,” Sanjay looked down at his hands before looking up with a strong gaze at Winston, “Mister Santos will not be allowed anywhere near Overwatch and their operations. You will have to get rid of him,”

“WHAT?” Lena jumped from her seat, slamming her hands on the table, “B-but he is a part of our team! Just like the rest of us!” Lena whipped her head towards Winston, “We can’t do that?! We can’t!”

Winston nodded his head in agreement at Lena before turning his concerned gaze back to Sanjay, “That is something that would be hard to agree to, Sanjay. Could there be any possibility of…”

“I’m sorry, Winston, but those are the terms. Mister Santos has played a large roll in protests against our company. Having him as someone who represents us by extension would be… _Problematic_. Concerns about betrayals, you must understand,”

“I-” Before Winston could get much more of a word out, Lena’s Telecom erupted with static. Lena jumped in surprise, Sanjay’s eyes went wide in surprise but he remained still.

“Lena, do you copy?” The voice over the com shouted through the static, more voices could be heard yelling in the background. Lena raised it so she could see it, Lucio’s image projected on the screen.

“Lucio? What’s wrong?” She asked as calmly as she could, looking at Winston. Winston’s eyebrows knit together in concern and curiosity.

“Lena, we need back up. Talon was here, but t-they are gone. Genji is hurt, we _need_ pick up! **_Pronto!_** ” Lucio’s voice shouted back, yelling could still be heard in the background. “Genji… Come on, man, you’re gonna be okay! It’s gonna be fine,”

She could hear Genji groan in the background, as well as Zenyatta’s voice in the background reply, “We need to move him,” with surprising calmness, but she could tell he was tense behind that calm voice.

“Lucio! Can you make your way back here?” Lena shouted back, Winston raised himself from his seat as the two started to move out the room.

“We are not finished here!” Sanjay called to them, standing from his seat. Winston just about snarled at him when he looked back.

“Our friends need us, this will have to continue at another time,” Winston replied hurriedly, following Lena as she sprinted out the door.

“Start moving and keep us updated!” Lena shouted, running down the hall towards the elevator door.

“R-right. Reinhardt! We have to _move_ , help us move Genji!” Lucio’s final words sounded as if he spoke away from the microphone before his audio feed cut off.

The two squeezed into the elevator, Sanjay following behind as fast as he could but he was trying to catch his breath.

“W-wait, you two! We are not done here, Stop-!”

“Sanjay _, Please_ ,” Winston shouted in anger, baring his teeth, “ _Don’t_ get in our way. Business can wait,”

Sanjay’s jaw dropped in shock and slight fear. Behind Winston, unseen by the great ape, Tracer stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid down at Sanjay as the elevator doors shut.

 

Unknown to anyone, the security camera lights switched from magenta back to light blue.

 

~

If not for Lucio’s mp3 player and Zenyattas orbs, the wound might have been fatal. The shotgun had blasted across this torso, ripping a chunk of the cybernetics from his side and peppering his torso with metal pellets that caused dozens of bleeding wounds. Green liquid mixed with blood seeped out of him. In short, it was not pretty. As the small party moved through the streets Reinhardt ran with Genji in his arms, Zenyatta floating next to him, trying his best to close the wounds with his orbs and Lucio’s mp3 player blasting his healing song on high. Lucio himself sprinted in front of Reinhardt, clearing the street for the tank to move faster. Lucio was leading them as best he could to the Vishkar building, taking back streets so not too much attention was drawn to the group.

Suddenly Lena started to call again. Lucio jumped at the sudden ringing, answering it quickly.

“Hello?” Lucio yelled into his com, his breath coming to him heavily.

“Lucio! Tracer here, we can’t find your location on our radar. Where are you?”

“We’re on our way back to you, but Genji needs a hospital!” Lucio replied, looking over his shoulder at the cyborg. He was holding his side tightly, Zenyatta speaking to him in low voices to keep him calm.

“OK… How is Genji?” She asked, Lucio could hear Winston in the background.

“He has been better, and the bleeding hasn’t stopped. I didn’t get enough time to see all the damage, but he needs proper medical attention,”

Lucio could almost hear Angela screaming at him in the back of his mind.

“Vishkar offered to help, they have medics a-and supplies-”

“No!” Lucio whined back, anger rising in his voice.

“Lucio! Don’t be so thick,” Lena scolded at him. Lucio groaned, glancing back at Genji. Even though he could not see his eyes, he could only imagine the expression on that scared face. He made eye contact with Reinhardt for a moment, his eyes still looking distant. Lucio grit his teeth together tightly.

“Fine. We will be there as soon as we can be,”

He could hear Lena sigh in relief on the other end of the receiver.

“Right. See you soon,” And with that she clicked off.

At the pace they moved they arrived back at Vishkar faster than they had left it. Lucio burst into the lobby first, followed quickly by Reinhardt and Zenyatta. Lena and Winston stood in the lobby, speaking with some Vishkar employees.

“There they are!” Lena called, pointing to the four of them.

“Quickly, get this man on a stretcher,” One of the Vishkar employees commanded. Two people rushed forward with a rolling stretcher. Reinhardt laid him down gently, Zenyatta floating around to the other side.

“Do not fret, my student. These nice people will take care of you,” Zenyatta spoke, trying to calm the bleeding cyborg. Genji’s hand was tightly gripped around Zenyattas hand, fingers intertwined.

“ _Master…_ ” Genji groaned back as they started to cart him away. Lucio followed quickly behind with everyone else. As Genji’s stretcher was passing through a doorway, a Vishkar employee quickly stepped between Lucio and the door.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Santos. You are not permitted to enter this area,”

Lucio jumped back in shock, eyes wide in surprise. He growled, hands balling into fists.

“Are you _shitting_ me?” He yelled in disgust, Reinhardt turned back around. From the moment the incident happened to now he had a serious look to him, eyes having a slightly glazed over look to them, but as he gazed at what was happening before him his expression turned from confusion to anger from the other side of the doorway, looking down at the employee.

“What is the meaning of this?” Reinhardt boomed, the Vishkar employ jumped, but turned calmly on her toe to face the towering German man.

“It is policy, Sir,” Her tone was unapologetic. Reinhardt glared down at her, Lucio as well was burning holes into the back of this ladies head.

“You have got to be joking,” Reinhardt scoffed. By now, Genji had been carted away with the rest of the team following to the medical bay out of sight. The woman stood her ground though, raising her left hand up to silence the taller man.

“Please, sir. I am only doing my job,”

Lucio looked this woman up and down, glancing around her frame. Instead of flesh her left arm was robotic, white as bone and polished to perfection with blue details. Her warm black hair was pulled tight into a bun on top of her head. Reinhardt rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb.

“You must be able to make an exception-” Reinhardt started to speak, but Lucio shook his head.

“Save your breath, Rein,” Lucio glanced around the entire lobby area. Though some people’s eyes were covered with tinted glasses, some not directly facing Lucio, he could tell everyone was glaring in his direction. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’ll just… Wait outside…” He didn’t meet Reinhardt’s eyes as he walked away, hands tightly balled up at his sides. Reinhardt wanted to call after him, hand reaching out above the lady in front of him.

“Luci…” His voice faded away. He took a deep breath, puffing his chest out as he glared down darkly at the woman blocking his path. Her brown eyes calm and collected, as if challenging him.

“I hope you are happy with yourself,” Reinhardt commented quietly before turning slowly to walk down the hall. The woman had to hold her frown from poking at her lips.

~

Lucio felt like he was a child again, sitting on the curb at the corner, a block away from the Vishkar building, an empty can of lemon-lime soda dangling in his fingers. His headphones were fitted over his ears and sunglasses placed over his eyes, looking at the city street around him. This was his home, his city, and yet he had never felt more on edge before in his life. His fingers drummed to the rhythm of his music on the empty can.

Even as angry and upset as he was, he still couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of his home. The sounds, the lights, the sun, the sky, even the air that he breathed and the sun he felt on his skin just felt like _home._ He liked his new home at the Watchpoint, but it was so much colder there and the air was harder to breathe…

He sighed, flipping through his smart phone to occupy his mind, scrolling through his twitter feed, but his mind couldn’t wander away from this thoughts, eyes unfocused on the screen and staring into space. Of _course_ it was just like Vishkar to do that. Even with a human life on the line they would care about their stupid policies more. His hands tightened around the tin can, crushing it in his grip.

“Hey, go easy there on that can,”

Lucio just about jumped out of his skin, eyes wide as he jumped back onto the sidewalk to look up at the source of the voice. He removed his sunglasses to look at Reinhardt, who stood a few feet away. His hands resting on his hips with a friendly smile upon his lips. Lucio sighed out, placing the aluminum can on the ground before rubbing his face with his hands.

“Reinhardt! Dude, you scared me,” Lucio rubbed the back of his neck, looking down and away. Reinhardt glanced around the street before settling next to the DJ, sitting close enough that their knees touched.

“Wasn’t sure where you went, had to look around for a bit to find you…” Reinhardt explained with a small chuckle. Lucio just stared downward, only nodding absently in response. Reinhardt sighed, rotating his shoulders.

“Well, Genji is alright. They were able to remove the metal out of his torso quickly enough, and close the wounds as best as they could. They got Angela on a video call to help with operations, since Angela… Knows his whole anatomy inside and out. He will have to finish operations back at the Watchpoint though. Nasty job those shotguns did…”

Lucio looked up at Reinhardt, who was watching the street in front of him. His hands were folded on his knees, his expression seemed content but still somewhat… Bothered. They remained sitting in silence for a few minutes. Lucio glanced at Reinhardt every so often, questions coming to his mind about what happened earlier. After that Reaper had disappeared, the look on Reinhardt’s face was haunted, and he had not spoken until they had arrived back at Vishkar.

“That was unfair of them,” Reinhardt suddenly spoke again, turning towards Lucio and resting a hand on his shoulder. Lucio sighed deeply, but did not shrug off his hand.

“I’m used to it from them,” Lucio mumbled gruffly, removing his headphones from over his ears.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I hope we do not side with them,” Lucio’s eyebrows went up, turning to fully face the larger man.

“Really?” His smile barely graced his lips. Reinhardt nodded his head.

“ _Ja_ , just the way that they acted. Not just to you, but to all of us. I could tell that if not for Sanjay’s word, they would not have helped us,” He explained. Lucio was not even surprised.

“As soon as Angela was put on video call, Sanjay forced Lena and Winston to continue their meeting. And once he was gone the attitude of all the employees changed. They only worked the minimum, not because they wanted to help,”

Lucio rolled his eyes, “I wish you guys had just believed me,”

“Now, now,” Reinhardt pat Lucio’s back firmly, “None of that. Winston is trying the best he can to be a good leader,”

Lucio sighed, looking down. After a moment Lucio leaned over, resting against Reinhardt’s side. Reinhardt stiffened for a moment, moving his arm away as he looked down at the younger man with a wide eye.

“I’m just tired, Rein,” Lucio whispered. Reinhardt had a feeling it was more than just a physical tiredness. Reinhardt gulped quietly, slowly resting his arm around Lucio’s shoulder.

“I know you are, Lucio,” Reinhardt replied back in a quiet, gentle tone. Lucio sighed in relief, smiling to himself. He liked the safe feeling he got from Reinhardt’s arm around him, just sitting as if there was not any problem in the world. As he relaxed into him he took a deep breath, catching a hint of Reinhardt’s smell. Was it clove? It kinda smelled like it, but Lucio could not pin it down. Regardless, it was nice. Lucio started to blush heavily, pushing himself off of Reinhardt. _What you are doing is inappropriate,_ Lucio thought to himself

“S-so, uh, yeah!” Lucio laughed nervously, trying his best to make his blush not obvious, which was hard since Reinhardt did not pull way his arm from around Lucio’s shoulder. “S-so what is the next move?”

“Well…” Reinhardt scratched his chin, looking down into his lap in contemplation, “Vishkar cars will escort us back to our ship, and hopefully Sanjay will be done squawking at Winston and Lena by today or early tomorrow,” Reinhardt spoke with a small smirk at the mention of Sanjay, Lucio gave a short chuckle, tapping his toes against the pavement to release his excited energy. His cheeks still felt hot, he hoped it was not that obvious to Reinhardt. Lucio just felt so aware of everything. The way Reinhardt smiled, where he was making contact with him, how heavy and safe his arm felt around Lucio’s shoulders. His smell, cloves and something else, came back to him.

Lucio suddenly stood, escaping from Reinhardt’s grip. Reinhardt cocked an eyebrow at Lucio.

“I don’t want to go back in Vishkar’s car,” Lucio announced, his words seemed to be independent of his thoughts, “I’ll take a taxi,”

“Alone?” Reinhardt questioned, slowly standing up from the ground, “Is that very wise? We saw Talon once today, I wouldn’t…” Reinhardt coughed, looking away for a brief moment before looking back. His gaze was strong and confident as if he was filled with a fresh fire. “ _I_ don’t want to see you get hurt, Lucio,”

Lucio stared at him, again his voice working faster than his mind. He could not stop his words

“What about you? How do you think _I_ feel?”

“What?”

Lucio had caught Reinhardt completely off guard. He took a deep breath.

“After Reaper, after all this… What is wrong, Reinhardt? You didn’t say anything, you looked like you saw a ghost back there. And, a-and,” He choked on his words for a moment. He could feel his face getting hot again, eyes becoming dewy “I Didn’t, I _couldn’t._ **_Help._** _You_. And Genji got hurt _a-and_ **_I_** could have done _more_ ,”

“Luci…” Reinhardt whispered weakly, reaching his hand out. He touched Lucio’s cheek with the tip of his finger. Lucio flinched, but pulled Reinhardt’s hand suddenly closer, Lucio gripping the taller man’s hand tighter, pressing his face into his large hand fully, as if nuzzling it. Reinhardt’s eyes went wide in shock, Lucio squeezed his eyes shut.

“Lucio,” Reinhardt’s voice was stronger, louder. Lucio sighed, looking down. His face felt hot against Reinhardt’s cold hand, embarrassment coming over him. His eyes started to open slowly, lids low, lashes covering his eyes.

“I did nothing to stop him!” Lucio shouted. “What if we are attacked again? I want… To be able to be there for everyone. To be _your_ shield-”

Reinhardt pulled Lucio close, squeezing him in a hug, wrapping his arms completely around his body tightly. Lucio hiccupped in surprise, eyes going wide.

“Do not talk like that, _mein freund_. It is not your fault what happened,” Reinhardt spoke, holding Lucio as if he was about to fall apart in his arms. “Talon is a horrible, nasty group who lives to hurt others. You cannot let this stop you, Lucio. Accidents always happen, but we must continue to protect each other, _as a team_ ,”

The two were quiet for a long moment, standing together on the street corner. He felt the small DJ hiccup in his arms, quivering as quiet tears streaming down his face. Reinhardt rubbed the DJ’s back gently and slowly.

“And Lucio… Do not worry about me. That Reaper… I only thought I had seen him somewhere else before. Do not worry, _mein freund_ , do not cry, I am fine, I promise…” He spoke softly, careful with his words. When he finally pulled away, Lucio rubbed his reddening eyes. Reinhardt pulled Lucio’s chin gently up to look at him giving an honest, kind smile.

“Smile for me, please. I miss your happy, pretty face,” Reinhardt whispered, running a quick thumb across his cheek to dry a tear that ran down his face. Lucio wiped his eyes with his wrist quickly before giving a small grin, looking up into Reinhardt’s eyes fully.

“There you are!” Reinhardt chuckled, Lucio gave an embarrassed laugh, leaning forward until his forehead rested on Reinhardt’s chest. He shook gently as he breathed deeply.

“Rein…” Lucio mumbled, but Reinhardt quickly shushed him, rubbing his back.

“ _Shh_ , it’s alright. I can call us a cab,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos is appreciated, Comments keep me going! Like something, dislike something? Let me know below. 
> 
> Find me at:  
> Tumblr: letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	11. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the ship, things start happening.
> 
> it's almost 6 am i can barely write these with normal circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it. I fucking did it.
> 
> its almost 6 am I am so tired but I have literally just been writing on and off all day today and I finished this chapter so here you go. If anything is off please let me know I am literally writing this so early in the morning i would not be surprised if i missed some mistakes i made.
> 
> (Don't ever expect an update like this to happen again. two chapters in two days? Am in insane? Oh my god.)
> 
> im so tired im going to sleep. I hope you like this chapter. Its dumb and fluffy and my girl made it in finally!!!. 
> 
> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> also tracer is so gay i love her

The cab ride was quiet, Lucio leaning against Reinhardt the entire time, eyes closed peacefully in light sleep. Reinhardt’s hand rested gently on the smaller man’s knee, occasionally rubbing his thumb back and forth soothingly. He could feel the connection of the prosthetic to flesh through his pants, which gave him an odd sense of pride _. A secret_ , a secret he was trusted with alone, beside other necessary parties.

Quite snores came from the DJ as the car drove on, drawing closer and closer to the airfield. Lucio snuggled closer in his sleep as he tried to grow more comfortable. Reinhardt hummed contently, watching the smaller man sleep for a moment. He was unsure why, but sitting close together, the fact that Lucio felt safe enough to sleep against him, it gave him a warm feeling in the center of his chest. He didn’t want to admit it, he admired Lucio. Perhaps more than just a friend, more than just a team mate… but he let those thoughts go on the back-burner for now.

Most of the ride Reinhardt stared out the window, reflecting on the events from earlier that afternoon. Was what he saw really what he thought it was? It was hard to forget those steely eyes, but it couldn’t be, it was _impossible_. Reyes had died, burned up. They couldn’t even find a bit of his body for the funeral.

Of yes, Reinhardt remembered the funeral for Gabriel Reyes. It was small and quiet. No family, only a few of his friends. Reinhardt spoke at the eulogy, not many others would. He helped lowered the ceremonial casket, even. He had cried that day, yes. He was not embarrassed for that fact.

But let’s say that Reinhardt’s mind was not deceiving him, and it was not his imagination. He sometimes had troubles with that during fights, his mind would confused his imagination with reality. It had felt so real, that voice so familiar… No, it had to just have been his imagination, a trick of the wind, there was no way that Gabriel Reyes was alive, let alone working as this “Reaper”.

Reyes. _Was._ **_Dead._**

_But that didn’t explain those shotguns…_

Lucio groaned in his light slumber, raising his head off of Reinhardt. Reinhardt looked down, he was squeezing Lucio’s knee with a tight grip. Reinhardt released his hold, sighing out gently.

“ _Vergib mir, mein Freund_. I did not mean to wake you,” Reinhardt cooed to the still half asleep Lucio who was now blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “Go back to sleep _Froschchen_ ,”

“Nah, nah, it’s cool,” Lucio assured, smiling as he rubbed his eye. “We are almost to the airfield, right?”

Reinhardt nodded his head in confirmation. Shortly after calling a cab Reinhardt had called Lena, informing her on where he and Lucio were going. She had said it was fine, that they were nearly done at Vishkar anyway and that the rest of them would probably be at the ship not long after they arrived. Perhaps an hour, maybe two until everyone else came back.

When they arrived Lucio payed the taxi man, smiling the entire time before the two entered the ship together. Reinhardt opened the hatch for the two of them, and upon entering he started to work on pulling out the hidden beds. Lucio watched with his hands at his sides, eyebrow cocked in confusion at the sight of Reinhardt randomly punching panels above their plane seats. Reinhardt did this for a few minutes before one finally clicked out, the German calling out in victory.

“Ah, there we go! Knew they still worked,” Reinhardt pulled the bed out slowly, dust falling out as it came out on its track. As the bed rolled out the seats below it folded in. Reinhardt glanced over his shoulder at Lucio.

“Go around and try to get the other beds out. Don’t want everyone to arrive with Genji and have no place to put him,”

“R-right,” Lucio scratched his head, setting off to try and replicate Reinhardt’s result. It took a few minutes but Lucio was able to pull out two beds, Reinhardt having to help him as he was too short to pull them down their tracks. It took a moment for Lucio to realize something was off.

“Hey, uh, Reinhardt… There are only 4 beds, that ain’t enough beds for everyone,” Lucio noted, Reinhardt shrugged his shoulders.

“Most missions didn’t really have us… _Sleeping_ , in the traditional sense. Beds were more commonly used for people who were hurt. But since this is a tad different than a traditional mission… Bah, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Reinhardt assured with a twinkle in his eye. “For now, let’s lock these into place. Pick a bed,”

 They secured all the beds before Reinhardt threw a blanket onto one, climbing up slowly before throwing himself onto it, stretching out with a groan.

“Ah, good to be back on the ship, eh?” Reinhardt folded his hands behind his head, looking at Lucio from where he lay. The DJ nodded in agreement, looking up at the bed to the right of Reinhardt.

“Yeah… I just hope everyone else is alright back there,” Lucio said, concern in his voice, trying his best to climb up but there were not a lot of footholds to jump up on and he was too short to do it in once bounce. Lucio tried to jump twice, failing both times before groaning, looking at Reinhardt.

“Ah… I can’t…” Lucio mumbled, blushing. Reinhardt cocked a brow, chuckling a bit to himself.

“Hold on, hold on, I’ll help you,” He groaned as he landed, bending down as he picked Lucio up, holding him by his waist.

“Woa-woah, hey hey!” Lucio yelped in surprise as he was lifted, Reinhardt laughed lightly. His hands encircled his small waist completely.

“Don’t be such a scaredy cat,” He cooed, placing Lucio up on the bed. Lucio gave a pout, crossing his arms.

“A warning would have been appreciated,” he mumbled under his breath. From where he sat his eyes were above Reinhardt, now looking down at him. From there, he could see all of Reinhardt’s face, Lucio finally getting a good look at the faded scar across his milky, blind eye. Before he could second guess himself he ran a hand gently along the side of the older man’s face, his fingers grazing his soft, silver hair. Was Reinhardt… blushing?”

“Reinhardt… How did you get your scar?” Lucio suddenly asked. Reinhardt pulled away gently our of Lucio’s touch, moving back over to his bed.

“Aaah, war. A prisoner, I was captured,” Reinhardt spoke, climbing back up. Lucio laid down, propping his head up on his elbow.

“A prisoner of war? Really?” Lucio’s eyes went wide in surprise. Reinhardt nodded his head yes in confirmation, chuckling.

“Yes… Back in Overwatch, a group in Egypt thought I was acting particularly _… shifty_. Drugged me, took me as prisoner, tried to get information out of me. They didn’t get much, but what did they expect when they had gotten me higher than the clouds?”

Reinhardt’s laugh felt a little misplaced to Lucio, but he supposed that was just Reinhardt being Reinhardt, laughing regardless of his tragic tales.

“Well, how did you get out?”

Reinhardt gave a small sigh in contemplation, laying down across the bed, the two facing each other in their lounging positions. Reinhardt thought for a moment before he spoke again.

“Ah… It’s blurry, but a small party came for me. Two of my teammates found out where I was taken. Ana Amari and Jack Morison. Heh... one of the goons tried to come at Ana with a knife. I tried to tackle him off of her but the guy got me with the knife instead.” Reinhardt gave a heavy sigh, his smile melancholy, “Those were two of the best soldiers I ever met,”

Lucio nodded, looking at Reinhardt with wonder-struck eyes.

“Well, what happened to them?”

Reinhardt did not answer for a long moment, staring into space.

“Missing in action, both of them. Presumed dead,” The happy edge to his voice was no longer there. Lucio stared at him for a long time, Reinhardt remained unmoving, and his eyes returning to that glazed over look from before.

“I’m sorry,” Lucio finally replied, looking away. Reinhardt gave a small grin, reaching over and placing one of his hands on top of Lucio’s, assuring him he was alright.

“Do not fret on it, it is all a part of war. All a part of life,” He pulled his hand away, rotating on his bunk to lay on his back, “They did what they loved, protecting people. They are not remembered in vain. I miss them, yes, but I know they lived a good life,”

Lucio nodded in understanding, laying down on his back as well.

“It must be tough, losing so many people,”

Reinhardt shrugged, “Yes, but I would much rather… Not speak of this, Lucio. I hope you understand,”

“Oh, y-yeah, sorry,” Lucio blushed. He rested his head on his hands, stretching his legs out as the two started to drift to sleep, Reinhardt falling asleep before Lucio.

Lucio could not stop thinking about Reinhardt. His hug, his words. What Lucio had said back at the street corner, he had meant every word. He wanted to be able to protect Reinhardt, as well as the rest of his team. So far Lucio did not have a good track record, and the guilt was building.

But even more than that, Lucio’s small crush was growing more into a full-fledged attraction. He leaned up for a moment on his elbow, looking at Reinhardt’s resting form. Did he feel the same way? He had called him “Pretty”. And though Lucio’s understanding of the German language was very limited, he did call him “Little Frog” in the way that he _thought_ was affectionate. He could be over-analyzing the whole situation. The way he looked at him, whenever they touched ever so slightly, the comfort he provided and the warm feeling he felt in the center of his chest. And the way that his hands had wrapped all around his waist…

He sighed, rolling over on his side and groaned, squeezing his legs together tightly.

~

“What are you implying, Winston?” Sanjay questioned, glaring at him from across the table, his breath coming to him heavily in anger.

“I’m implying that Overwatch does not _need_ help from you!” Winston’s voice boomed. Lena listened from her seat. Winston had insisted that Lena should try to refrain from commenting for the second half of the discussions after making sure that Genji was going to be okay. She would have complained, but it seemed that she didn’t have to defend Winston this time around, silently wanting to whoop and holler in joy.

“Please, Winston, I don’t think you fully understand-”

“Oh, I _do_. And I also think that you don’t know how to take _no_ for an answer, Mr. Korpal,” Winston growled out, nodding with his head for Lena to follow. She blinked over quickly, smiling brightly.

“We appreciate your offer, but Lucio is a valued member of our team. And teams don’t leave members behind. We will find another way, _without you_ ,” He assured with a confident smile. “Now, if you please, we will take our leave,”

Sanjay’s eyes were wide, but then suddenly he took a deep breath, regaining his calm exterior as Winston and Lena entered the elevator.

“You will regret rejecting Vishkar’s offer, Winston,” Sanjay managed to get out, Winston gave a short laugh.

“No. I don’t think I will. Good day, _Mr. Korpal_ ,”   

~

It was 3 hours before everyone else arrived back at the ship, Winston carried a sleeping Genji in his arms, still under the intense anesthesia Vishkar had put him under. Lucio remained in his bed, eyes closed. Reinhardt was staring at the ceiling, jumping down when they all came in to assist with laying Genji on a bed. The team moved around the cabin quietly and quickly, speaking in hushed whispers as not to disturb Lucio or Genji. Lena moved outside, followed by Reinhardt and Winston. Zenyatta moved to sit on the bed with Genji, his healing orbs circling around the pair quietly.

Winston and Reinhardt stopped outside the door, standing together, but Lena continued to walk around to the back of the ship, phone in hand as she dialed a number. When she noticed Reinhardt giving her a questioning look, she smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

“Gotta call Emily. Let her know how things are going, ya know?” She explained with a wink before walking off.

Reinhardt sighed, standing next to Winston. The two looked at each other for a moment.

“So what was the final verdict?” Reinhardt questioned, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans.

“No alliance,” Winston replied, not looking up. Reinhardt whistled.

“I must say, _Freund_ , I am surprised,” Reinhardt chuckled, resting a steady hand on the scientists back. “What made you say no?”

Winston let out a sigh that sounded more like a chuckle, pushing his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose.

“They had some questionable terms of agreement, some that we as a team could not make,”

 “Like what?”  Reinhardt asked as he cocked an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Winston gazed up at Reinhardt, glancing back and forth and towards the door of the ship to make sure they were alone.

“Well, Lucio would have had to be kicked out,” he spoke in a low voice, glancing back towards the ship. Reinhardt’s eyes went wide in shock.

“Really? They would have forced that?” Reinhardt’s chest felt like it was squeezed slightly. Winston nodded solemnly.

“Yes. So that alone was enough reason to decline for myself and Lena,” Winston scratched the back of his neck.

Reinhardt nodded his head, gazing out at the empty air field.

“That is quite a risk you are taking for one team member,” Reinhardt commented.

“I would do it again for any one of us,” Winston assured. Reinhardt looked at Winston, thinking of how to express how proud he was but unable to come up with any words. Instead the two remained silent for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company.

“You are doing a good job, Winston. You’re doing what nobody else was willing to do again. I am proud of you,”

Winston didn’t reply at first, instead letting out a relieved sigh. He smiled, standing up on his hind legs to meet Reinhardt eye to eye. He placed his large paw on the man’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Reinhardt. Your words really do mean a lot-” Winston were interrupted by a sudden scream from behind the ship, followed by the sound of Lena’s pistols. Winston and Reinhardt both looked at each other before breaking into a sprint towards the sound, Winston bounding faster in front of Reinhardt.

“Lena?” Winston shouted, rounding around the ship. Lena was a blur of blue light, blinking around as she distracted a woman, her form silhouetted in blue light from an oval of glowing pale blue behind her. The woman seemed unable to keep her eye on Lena, not noticing the two tanks who rounded the corner. Lena’s phone could be seen laying on the ground a few feet away with the screen glowing brightly in the dark, cracks visible across the screen.

“What is going on?” Winston demanded, the woman standing in the light whipped around, eyes wide behind her visor in surprise. She aimed her gun, the end suddenly shooting forth a glowing orb. Reinhardt and Winston’s eyes both went wide, diving away as the glowing orb impacted where they stood, burning through the cement easily.

Reinhardt broke into a charge, barreling towards the woman. The glowing light behind her disappeared, the mysterious woman cursed aloud right before Reinhardt tackled her to the ground, knocking her weapon out of her hand. Lena blinked to it, swiping it up off of the ground.

“Unhand me!” The mysterious woman cried out in pain, her Indian accent could be clearly heard as Reinhardt stood, holding her up under the arms. She kicked her legs out and into Reinhardt’s legs, but it didn’t even seem like he noticed. The woman gave an honest effort to struggle out of his grip, but Reinhardt was too solid of a force to escape out of. Winston and Lena both approached, Lena holding her guns up to the woman’s face.

“Who are you, what are you doing here?” Winston questioned, rubbing his chin. The woman glared daggers, trying again to yank her arms out of Reinhardt’s iron grip. She did not speak. Lena lowered her pistols.

“Perhaps we should take this inside, there may be more,” Lena suggested to Winston.

“Hold on, hold on! What happened, Lena? How did she get here?” Winston questioned.

“I-I’m not really sure! One minute I was talking to Em’, next minute I’m getting shot with some kind of… Laser or s-something!” She paused for a moment, then gasped. “Oh shite!” Lena suddenly blinked to her phone, scooping it up off of the ground and quickly putting it to her ear carefully.

“Em, love! I'm sorry, I’ll have to call you back… I-I know… _I know_ …. I’ll call you back I promise. Okay… _Okay,_ luv you too,” She clicked the call off, looking at the now broken screen, “Damn… I’ll have to get a new phone…” And in another second she blinked back next to Winston, looking the mysterious woman up and down with a sideways look.

“Alright, inside. Now,” Reinhardt said, gazing around before turning and walking carefully as not to knock this mysterious intruder around too much.

“I can walk _myself,_ ” The woman complained, Reinhardt shook his head.

“Sorry, Madame, I don’t trust you all that much,” Reinhardt chuckled. Lena blinked ahead, going inside the airship first. Once Winston and Reinhardt entered, the door was closed and locked behind them. Zenyatta looked up from where he sat next to Genji, Lucio as well was now awake and sitting up in his bed.

“Reinhardt?” Lucio started to ask, the older man set the woman down carefully onto her feet. The mysterious woman quickly jerked away, brushing herself off.

“How rude,” She commented. Lena’s cheeks burned red, her grip on her pistols tightening.

“Rude? You’re calling us rude? You freaking popped out of nowhere and started to attack me!” Lena shouted, Winston placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. Lena grunted, throwing the mysterious woman’s weapon into the corner. Lucio jumped down from his bed, stepping up to get a better look at her.

“Well, who are you?” Lena questioned, tucking her pistols away before crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

The woman did not respond, lip pulled tight. Lucio walked closer, looking her up and down. He stared at her robotic arm, her warm black hair. Her eyes, calm and collected even in this situation.

“You… YOU!” Lucio shouted, hands balling into fists, stepping forward as if he was going maybe attack. The woman’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“Get back!” She hissed. Reinhardt grabbed Lucio and pulled him back, holding him in a tight grip by the arm. His entire hand wrapped around it easily.

“Rein, let me go!” He growled, shooting an angry look up at him. But Reinhardt kept his grip strong.

“How shameful you are,” The mysterious woman spat coolly, voice smooth a silk but with an icy edge.

“You’re one to talk!” he shouted back, struggling in Reinhardt’s grip. “You tear apart families, take away the peoples freedom! How can you work for them and just not see the nightmare you are causing onto people!”

Everyone shifted uncomfortably, the mysterious woman cocked an eyebrow, but there was a bit of surprise and shock on her face.

“You are unworthy of the true reality, blind to what we really strive for! We wish to restore order,” She retorted, Lucio gave a cold laugh.

“Yeah, a reality where everyone is your _fucking_ **_slave!_**   How _could you, how **could** you?!”_ Lucio tried jumped forward, but was immediately pulled back by Reinhardt.

“Let’s go outside, you need to calm down,” Reinhardt instructed, starting to drag the smaller man with him.

“Rein, _let me go!_ ” Lucio argued, but Reinhardt continued to move. Lucio looked up at the larger man’s face, the fire roaring inside him dying at the single look Reinhardt was giving him. Annoyance, anger, disappointment. Lucio sighed, looking away. He mumbled under his breath, but it was nothing anyone could hear clearly.

Reinhardt, seeming satisfied with Lucio’s change of mood, looked up, nodding at Winston and Lena.

“I trust you will handle this,” Reinhardt shot a final glance at the mysterious woman, then looked back to Lucio. The two walked outside silently, the door closing shut behind them.

Winston gave a deep sight, turning to the woman.

“Please, can you tell us at least… A name?”

The woman looked from Winston to Lena, even looking up at Zenyatta, who had not moved from Genji’s side.

“Call me Symmetra,”

~

“The fuck, man?” Lucio shouted as soon as Reinhardt stopped dragging Lucio away. Reinhardt simply crossed his arms over his broad chest, looking down at him.

“Does shouting solve any problems?” Reinhardt scolded. Lucio gritted his teeth, looking away. His hands balled into fists.

“It was that lady, Rein! That woman who wouldn’t let me in,” he growled, rubbing his temple with his thumb. “Just like the rest of them who work there, they… Just don’t even seem to _realize!_ ”

“Lucio-” Reinhardt started.

“They just make me so mad!”

“I know,”

“I just… Don’t…” he yelled out in anger, turning away fro Reinhardt as he ran his fingers through his dreadlocks. Reinhardt stepped forward, placing a hand on his back.

“I know it’s frustrating, and how you are feeling is completely valid,” he assured, giving a patient smile. “But letting your emotions control you when you are in a situation trying to get information, especially when you are unsure of the situation, you might be making it dangerous for the rest of your team,”

Lucio stared up into Reinhardt’s eyes. Of course Reinhardt was right, he usually was. It almost felt like he could read Lucio like a book. Lucio turned and stepped closer to Reinhardt, resting his forehead against Reinhardt’s chest. Reinhardt did not move his arms at all, keeping them at his side. Lucio groaned, starting low and slowly getting louder until his groan was hoarse, low and throaty and loud. Reinhardt rubbed a hand gently in circles on Lucio’s back, chuckling softly to himself.

“Let it out, it’s okay,” Reinhardt assured, Lucio raised his hand and softly beat it against Reinhardt’s chest, his voice fading out until he was just dead weight against Reinhardt chest.

“Why are you always so right all the time,” Lucio mumbled in a flat tone, Reinhardt simply chuckled in response.

“It comes with age, I suppose,” Reinhardt started to blush when Lucio wrapped his arms around him, his arms not long enough to go all the way around his torso. Reinhardt wrapped his own more fully around, returning the hug. Lucio buried his face into Reinhardt. That clove mixture smell coming back to Lucio. He blushed, he wanted more than just a hug. He wanted Reinhardt’s hands to caress his face, play with his hair, wrap around his torso with just his hands in that tight grip… Lucio blushed, squeezing tighter in embarrassment.

“Lucio? Is something wrong?” Reinhardt tried to release to look at him better, but Lucio did not let go.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I just…” He relaxed his grip, pulling Reinhardt’s arms back around him before sighing contently.

“I really… Just need this,”

“Lucio…” Reinhardt blushed. Lucio was so small in his arms. He wanted to give him comfort, safety and assurance that everything would be alright. They stood just like that for a long time, Reinhardt continued to rub Lucio’s back up and down slowly. Reinhardt could feel the smaller man’s heart beat against his chest, his heart racing inside him. Reinhardt wondered if Lucio could feel his own heart’s quick beat as well. Was he nervous? Reinhardt had pushed way the idea the Lucio possibly could develop romantic feelings for him, but now Reinhardt was not so sure anymore. How could he like someone like him? He was so much older, they were team mates…

When Lucio finally pulled away, he smiled ever so slightly.

“Better?” Reinhardt asked. Lucio nodded his head slowly yes.

“Do you think you can go back inside?” Reinhardt continued. Lucio thought a moment, then finally nodded his head yes again. Reinhardt smiled warmly, wrapping an arm around Lucio’s shoulders.

“Come on, then. Let’s see what is happening in there,”

~

“So please, tell us who you are with,”

Lena, Winston and Symmetra were now all seated around a table in an attempt to make everyone more comfortable. Symmetra scoffed slightly, laughing coldly, mockingly.

“Perception seems to be your weakness,” She smiled to herself, Lena knit her eyebrows together. She opened her mouth to speak, but Winston gave her a look, silencing her.

“We don’t want to make any assumptions,” Winston assured, “But I have a good guess as to where you were sent from. The uniform, Light Technology. I must say, your work is very impressive,”

Symmetra gave no reaction to the complement. A polite smile came to her lips finally.

“I am one of Vishkars finest architects. So much so I am trusted to do field work,”

“So you lot _do_  do shady missions like this, sneaking around,” Lena inquired. Symmetras lips flattened into a frown.

“Well... My intent was never to be seen, your unexpected location threw me off guard-”

“Well you didn’t have to laser gun me!” Lena whined, Symmetra did give a slight look of what could maybe be called sympathy.

“I find violence… Regrettable. Whatever pain you have endured I assure you will not last. Only long time exposure to the laser beam of my weapon can have deadly side effects,"

Lena gulped, sinking down into her seat.

“Well don’t _I_ feel lucky,”

Winston chuckled lightly, patting Lena’s shoulder.

“You’re alright,” he looked back to Symmetra, “Now, I do need you to answer this. _Why_. Why were you snooping around our ship? And… How did you get here in the first place?”

Symmetra thought for a moment, her fingers fiddling together on top of the table.

“Vishkar has developed teleportation technology, which is how I was able to travel here. One of the cars that transported you here left one half of a teleporter, a teleporter "Alpha" base. Once I opened the path from the other side with its respective "Beta" base, I was able to travel quickly,” She sighed, “Sadly, it is a one way trip, thus why I am still here,”

“I see,” Winston nodded his head in understanding, “But you still did not answer why you came in the first place,”

Symmetra, again, took a moment to compose her answer. She finally sighed, looking at Winston with a strong gaze.

“I was assigned to come here, place one of our teleporting pads on your ship, then go back with another teleporter. You two interrupted me before I could get my escape set up, and it would be incredibly rude and unwise to do so now. Sanjay is not happy with your decision, and so he wished to… sabotage you,”

Winston’s eyes went wide, Lena almost chocked on the water she happened to be sipping out of.

“Really?” Winston questioned, “That quite… Alarming, to say the least,”

“Y-yeah,” Lena coughed, setting her bottle down. Symmetra watched her with dissatisfaction as she cleared her throat, her fingers fidgeting slightly.

“And once this teleportation pad was set, and the other was put to open this… “Path”, as you called it. What would Vishkar… _Do_ , exactly?”

“Infiltrate your base of operations,” Symmetra replied as simply as if she was telling them the weather. Lena looked at Symmetra as if she was crazy, Winston with wide eyes of shock.

“Well, when I rejected Vishkar’s offer, my goal was not to make enemies of you,” Winston thought aloud, rubbing his chin with his thumb.

“I believe it would have been wiser to accept the offer,” Symmetra commented. Winston sighed.

“My decision is final, I am not going to lose a team mate. We are a family, I can’t just… Trade that away,”

It was Symmetra’s turn to look at Winston in confusion, but she remained silent. Lena leaned forward, tapping her fingers on the table.

“Well, while we were squabbling around, did you manage to place your teley-porty-thingy on our ship?” Lena inquired, Symmetra shook her head no.

“No, I did not,” She informed, “And I doubt I will be able to do so now,”

“You sure got that right,” Lena laughed under her breath.

“So may I leave?”

Both Lena and Winston were caught off guard by the question, looking at each other for a moment before looking back to Symmetra.

“Uh…” Winston thought, scratching his head, “I’m not sure. Nothing quite like this has ever… _Really_ happened,”

“Well, I failed my mission and told you all you requested from me. I am no use to you,” Symmetra stood up from the table, moving to the corner to pick up her weapon. Nobody moved, everyone just watched quietly, as if waiting for her to mess up. Symmetra’s movements were elegant and smooth, every step taken with grace. She picked up her weapon and gave it a quick look over, her lips pouting as she observed some damages.

“Pitiful. I will have to do some repairs,” She sighed, turning back to the table. “So, may I leave? Or will you be holding me hostage?”

Lena opened her mouth to speak, but Winston stood faster.

“You may leave, but I will escort you outside to a safe place,” He glanced around the room, Lena gave a quiet sigh but shrugged.

“I guess that is fair…” She smiled, looking at Symmetra, “Put a good word in for us with Sanjay, yeah? We don’t want any more enemies,”

Symmetra gave no response, but also did not scrunch her nose in disgust, so Lena could only guess that Symmetra was maybe being friendly. Winston moved towards the door. As he reached out for the handle, Symmetra close behind, Lucio opened the door.

“Oh!” Lucio jumped back, Reinhardt peaking his head to look behind him. Symmetra glared down at the DJ.

“Pathetic,” She commented. Lucio inhaled sharply but Reinhardt touched his hand gently. Lucio let out his breath, offering a smile instead.

“Nice to see ya again!” He cheered, stepping past her quickly. Reinhardt followed quietly behind, nodding to Winston. Symmetra cocked an eyebrow in confusion before Winston instructed her to walk outside. She proceeded without comment, the heels of her shoes could be heard clicking against the pavement before the hatch door finally closed shut behind them. Lucio let out a sigh, rubbing his face.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Lucio groaned, slumping into a seat. Reinhardt smiled, patting the DJ’s shoulder.

“I’m proud of you,” Reinhardt smiled.

“Next time I’m punching her in the throat,” Lucio remarked casually. Reinhardt’s eyes went wide for a moment before he sighed.

“Well, it is progress…”

~

When Winston returned, confirming that Symmetra had successfully teleported away and all of her remaining tech was destroyed, everyone was seated in the ship, looking at the 3 remaining beds they had to split between 5 people.

“Well, if Lucio and I share a bed, we could fit in it easily…” Lena suggested, not sounding too excited about the idea.

“No, I’d feel weird about it! I know you got a girlfriend,” Lucio retorted, rubbing his arm. Lena gave a small smile in appreciation.

“I do not require a bed to sleep,” Zenyatta informed from his seated position on the bed, still next to Genji. “I only require enough space to sit and recharge,”

“Well, you can sit up there with Genji or… Anywhere else you would like to be,” Winston assured. Zenyatta silently rested his hand on Genji’s side, basically confirming his place next to Genji.

“Well that still leaves the four of us to three beds,” Reinhardt hummed, Lucio looked at the group.

“Well, who would not mind sharing?” Winston asked.

“Me-” Both Reinhardt and Lucio spoke at the same time, both looking at each other quickly, then looking away, both trying to hide their blush. Thankfully the light was so low nobody else noticed.

“Well, why don’t you two share a bed?” Lena smiled, rocking back and forth on her feet.

“W-well, if Lucio is okay with it-”

“I-I mean, I-I’d be down if h-he’s comfortable-”

“Great!” Lena stopped both of their stammering. “Well, let’s all hit the hay then, right?”

everyone was quick to change into their sleepwear, Winston not even bothering to change at all, the remaining 3 taking turns in the ship's bathroom. Lucio opted to leaving his prosthetic legs on, since Lena and Zenyatta still did not know. With his sweatpants it did not look any different.

Reinhardt and Lucio took the bed furthest away, located on the opposite side of the cabin but still within 10 feet of everyone else. Reinhardt helped Lucio climb in first, the smaller man curling up into a ball to allow Reinhardt enough room to pull himself up and lay down first. Lucio could tell he was blushing hard core at the sight of just Reinhardt lying next to him, hoping it was not too noticeable. 

“How… Do you want to do this?” Reinhardt questioned, not wanting to proceed without knowing that Lucio was comfortable. sitting up from his lounging position. He had taken the side against the wall. Lucio could feel his entire body go hot.

“Uh… Just, uh…” He laid down, his back against Reinhardt’s chest. Reinhardt did not move, waiting for Lucio to settle in.

“I’ll lay here, and, uh…” Lucio reached out, taking Reinhardt’s arm and placing it so that he cradled Lucio’s form against him. Lucio sighed out in relief. “There… Hold me against you like this,”

Lucio’s heart was beating a mile a minute, Reinhardt’s own heart doing the same, his eyes almost unable to believe what he was seeing. He pulled Lucio even closer to him, sighing out as he relaxed into place.

“Okay… fine with me,” Reinhardt whispered into the smaller man's ear, his smile hidden from Lucio. His breath felt hot against his skin and his voice was low, causing Lucio's stomach to fill with butterflies. Lucio flushed even darker, squeezing his legs even tighter together. _Not now, Not now._

It took several minutes, but the both of them finally started to relax. Lucio relished the feeling of Reinhardt wrapped around him, feeling warm and safe in his arms and cradled into his huge chest. Reinhardt enjoying the feeling of closeness, the feeling of providing safety and shelter for him. It took no time at all for the DJ to fall asleep, the crusader following quickly after him, hugging him close as if he may lose him if he didn’t.

Oh no, he did not want to lose him any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like something, dislike something? leave a comment below. Kudos is always appreciated. Thank you for reading <3
> 
> please let me know if you spot any mistakes k thx <3
> 
> Find me:  
> Tumblr: Letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	12. Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji calls upon his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, letmeshinebright here! I wanna thank you all for 200+ kudos, that is so amazing to me! And so many wonderful comments from you all, I never expected this to be so loved. I want to thank you!!!!!!
> 
> Also, I want to highlight something I never did! Soar200 from Tumblr drew really lovely fanart from chapter 6 of the yoga scene! 
> 
> \/ look at it here \/  
> http://soar200.tumblr.com/post/154864485799/for-letmeshinebrights-cute-ass-reinluci-fic-i
> 
> Also - sorry about this chapter, it focuses (overall) more on Genji and Hanzo instead of Lucio and Reinhardt. Gotta build that plot yo. But I'll be coming at you with more Luhardt goodness real soon! >:3c nyee hee hee!

Since arriving at the Watchpoint, Lucio had not fallen asleep so easily and slumbered as peacefully until sleeping on this tiny, stiff, dusty cot shared with Reinhardt. He was warm, very warm, and he felt safe. And he felt something else… Something pressing against him.

Lucio had no perception of time, the ship’s windows out of sight and his watch left in his backpack, so he did not know what time it was. Reinhardt was wrapped all around Lucio, arm and leg holding him fully against him. The German snored surprisingly quietly, not enough to really bother Lucio awake. What did wake him was the new sensation he was experiencing.

Against Lucio’s back and butt he could feel something… Prodding into him.

Lucio’s eyes shot wide awake, realizing what it was pressed against him now. His first thought would have probably been “I’m surprised his stuff is still working down there,” If not for the fact that he was so simultaneously shocked and slightly aroused by the sheer size of Reinhardt’s package pressing against his butt. Lucio blushed, trying to shift away from Reinhardt but the sleeping giant only pulled him closer. _It’s normal to get boners in your sleep,_ Lucio thought. _It’s totally normal, it happens to all healthy, functioning people with a penis. Its fine, this is fine, this is fine, this is fine, and this is not because of me-_

Reinhardt suddenly groaned in his sleep, his cock twitching against Lucio. Lucio froze, his hands shooting down to his own crotch, squeezing his legs together. Reinhardt sighed out contently, hugging Lucio fully against him gently in his slumber.

“ _Mmm… L-Lucio…_ ” Reinhardt mumbled in his sleep, nuzzling Lucio slightly before sinking back into the pillow. Lucio’s eyes grew even wider as his entire body felt like it is on fire, holding his laughter from Reinhardt’s tickling whiskers. It took all of Lucio’s will power not to wiggle or whine, Reinhardt’s breaths now blowing against the small of his neck, tickling him even more. Lucio took a slow, deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. Boy, did this guy seem to like cuddles…

But it was so big, so big. Lucio had his share of sexual partners in the past, but none of them compared, none could even compete with this. Lucio was pretty sure that if any guy after this tried to come up to him after one of his concerts, promising that his package was large enough to please the DJ, he would laugh straight in their face and walk away. Lucio bit the inside of his cheek as he shifted slightly, pressing himself purposefully back into the crusader. His stomach gave a lustful twist at the feeling of his length pressing into him. A wave of shame washed over Lucio, but it was so good. His stomach flip flopped in the best way, his face flushed dark red. He let out a hot breath as silently as possible. If any voice of reason combating his attraction to Reinhardt existed it died in that moment. It was as if Reinhardt was a beautiful, 6 tier cake filled with smiles and laughs and an amazing personality with a huge sugar penis on top. It was amazing, it was delicious…

It was wrong. _It is wrong._

Lucio closed his eyes again, pulling his butt away from Reinhardt. It was wrong what he was doing, taking advantage of Reinhardt like this in his sleep. But there was no denying it now. He liked him before, it was as if this tipped the scale, but he wanted to refuse. Reinhardt even said Lucio’s name in his sleep, was that not… Worth noting? Lucio took another deep breath, trying his best to fall back asleep.

~

Roughly two hours after Lucio had awoken the entire cabin was startled by the sound of Genji groaning in agony, squirming where he lay on the bed in pain. Lena was up first, jumping quickly onto the bed, followed by Winston, still blurry eyed from sleep as he stood next to the bunk. Reinhardt woke up before Lucio, gazing down at his resting form cradled against him. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight, but his attention was quickly directed back to Genji when the sound of particularly painful sounding groan echoed through the cabin. Reinhardt quickly shook Lucio awake, the DJ snorted as he shoot upright.

“Ah! I’m up, I’m up! W-What?” He whipped his head around quickly in dazed surprise, looking up at him with a slight blush but Reinhardt was already climbing out of the bed.

“It’s Genji,” He whispered to Lucio, rushing his speech. “He has awoken,”

“W-what’s wrong, Genji?” Lena stammered, looking over him. Zenyatta’s hands direct the healing orbs over his side. Lucio jumped down, following Reinhardt over to his cot.

“The bullet wounds… Where the shotgun pellets impacted his skin, i-it appears as if his skin is…. Decaying rapidly,” The monk replied, the slight crack in his voice betraying his calm exterior, revealing his nervousness. Genji was gripping Zenyatta’s hand in a tight fist. The omnic was looking down at him with what could be assumed a concerned expression, stroking the top of his students palm with his other hand.

“I have never seen something like this before,” Lucio spoke quietly behind Reinhardt. Genji groaned again quietly.

“Z-Zen…” Genji whispered, looked up, removing the front panel of his helmet so that his face could be seen by everyone. Everyone collected around the bed, listening closely to his weak voice.

“Yes, my pupil?” Zenyatta asked quickly, his entire focus on the cyborg.

“Please… My brother, I need to speak with him…” Genjis voice was soft and airy, breaths coming to him in heavy gasps. Zenyatta looked down at everyone standing around the bed.

“Bring him a phone,” Zenyatta commanded, his voice firm. It could have come off as aggressive by how firm it was. Everyone looked around at each other in surprise, Lena moved first, quickly jumping down and sprinting away to grab a telecommunication device. She ran back, jumping off of Winston onto the bed.

“W-will this work?” She held it out in shaking hands, Zenyatta took it quickly. With the assistance of Lena they sat Genji up, the Cyborg wincing in pain, taking the telecommunicator with a shaking hand.

“Arigatou,” **_Thank you_**. He smiled through the pain to Lena. With the help of Zenyatta they together typed in the number on the telecommunicators screen. Everyone was completely silent as the ring echoed through the cabin, Genji’s labored breaths the only other thing accompanying the ringing sound.

Finally, the ringing stopped, the other end of the receiver was picked up.

“Moshi moshi?” **_Hello?_** A low voice replied through the phone, the room seemed to give a collective sigh in relief.

“Hanzo, anata no kyōdaidesu,” **_Hanzo, it is your brother._** Genji took a deep breath before speaking, trying to steady his voice but failing.

“Nandeshou…?” **_What do you want?_** Hanzo finally replied after a moment of pause, voice obviously warry and annoyed. Genji could not hold his groan in pain before replying.

“Hanzo, Watashi wa anata no tasuke ga hitsuyōdesu,” **_Hanzo, Please I need your help._**

The other end of the phone was silent for a long moment, almost too long for comfort. Finally Hanzo spoke up again.

“Anata to hokanohito wa imasu ka?” **_Are others with you?_**

“Hai,” **_Yes._** Genji glanced around at everyone around him, all of them looking at him with concern and a bit of hope. Hanzo sighed on the other end.

“Brother,” He spoke in surprisingly clear English to everyone but Genjis surprise, “What happened? Are you hurt?”

Genji gave a slightly mischievous laugh, resulting in an all-to knowing sigh from the other end.

“You know me, Brother… I can’t stay out of trouble,” He smiled through his pain, wincing aloud, his other hand coming to grip his torso tightly.

“Genji, answer me,” Hanzo replied harshly. “ _Are. You. Hurt?_ ”

Genji glanced around at everyone, seeming to be reluctant to answer.

“Kitakaze no doragon…. Kare wa shinde iru. Watashi wa sore o kanjiru koto ga dekimasu,”

**_The Dragon of the North wind… He is dying. I can feel it._ **

“Genji-!” Hanzo shouted in shock into the receiver, Genji coughed suddenly, interrupting Hanzo.

“Please, Hanzo… I will send you the coordinates to Watchpoint Gibraltar,” Genji continued, “I will see you there, brother,”

“Genji…” Hanzo paused before he gave a heavy sigh. “Take care of yourself,”

The call was dropped suddenly. Genji let out a heavy sigh, leaning back heavily while clutching his side tightly.

“That went well,” Zenyatta spoke, sounding optimistic. The cyborg smiled at the omnic with a tired expression.

“I agree…” He took a deep breath, looking to Winston and Lena. “How soon can we leave?”

“Immediately,” Winston replied after a moment of thought, making his way to the pilot’s station. “Lena, let’s get this moving. Prepare for a gentle lift off, we don’t want to move Genji into a strapped seat,”

“Right!” Lena jumped down, quickly following Winston, the two not even bothering to change out of their sleepwear.

“Reinhardt, Lucio. Quickly check the outside of the ship. We don’t need any more trouble from Vishkar,”

Reinhardt and Lucio both nodded before moving towards the door. Zenyatta helped lower Genji into a reclined positon, his orbs coming back and circling around the two, glowing gently gold and humming their healing chime.

 “Rest, my student, do not exert yourself to much…” Zenyatta spoke softly, leaning down gently before touching his forehead to Genji’s. “We have a long journey ahead of us still,” The cyborg gave a small smile before relaxing as much as possible into the bed.

Reinhardt and Lucio checked over the outside hull of the ship, finding nothing sent from Vishkar before returning inside, quickly preparing the inside cabin for takeoff. The pair were left to strap everything down and push the unoccupied beds away, Reinhardt not even taking notice to the fact that Lucio refused to make eye contact with him. Lena lifted the ship as gently off the ground as she could, flying into the pale morning light back towards Gibraltar.

\- Genji -

As the ship traveled he only got worse, skin becoming grey and rotting with a strange smell of musk. It was painful, every breath felt labored. But for every moment he was awake, he was glad that Zenyatta was with him. His healing orbs provided waves of bliss between the throbbing pains. His hands grounded him in reality, his voice comforted him. He always did, since he had met him so long ago.

It was a flurry of movement arriving back at the Watchpoint. Genji could not make out much. He was carried by Reinhardt… That much he knew. Angela was there with McCree, both of them were out of breath bringing in a stretcher. There was talking, so much talking. His side, he felt like he was on fire yet also so _cold. Too cold._

“Bring him in, hurry!” Angela yelled over the engines, which no doubt Tracer was still trying to shut down within the ship.

“Angela, that Hanzo guy just arrived,” Genji could hear Jesse’s southern drawl over all the noise, breath coming to him short. “And he is _not_ happy,”

“No now, Jesse!” Angela hissed. Genji felt the soft cot under him as he was rested down. “We need to get him to the med bay, quickly! I will deal with Mr. Shimada later,”

“Angela…” Genji coughed out, the pain in his chest intensifying when he spoke. Angela pushed him down onto the stretcher firmly.

“Genji, please remain still and calm,” He felt a pinch on his finger, he tried to gaze around his surroundings but everything was out of focus. He could tell that he was being pushed around but he could not tell in what direction or who was pushing him. He could only feel that Zenyatta was still squeezing one hand, and the pain of the pinch on his opposing hand faded away. The hallways blurred passed him, voices of concern mixed with shouting and Zenyattas ever-patient voice calming them all until he suddenly stopped, Genji’s grip on Zenyatta fell away, and he was left alone suddenly. Genji could not see much, but he could hear around him.

“Mr. Shimada, please be patient, I need to check over Genji first before he sees anyone-” Angela spoke, he could hear her voice clearly across the room.

“He _needs_ me _right **now**_ ,” Hanzo argued, anger heard on the edge of his voice. Genji lifted his head just enough to see them, out of focus but he could see them. Hanzo was in Angela’s face, McCree standing cautiously behind his brother.

“Woah, easy there-” Genji heard McCree speak, resting a friendly hand on the archer’s shoulder before there was a sudden shift of movement and a surprised yell from McCree. Genji blinked in surprise, watching as Hanzo pinned McCree against the wall.

“ _Do. Not. Touch me_ ,” Hanzo growled, holding McCree with only his forearm no problem, regardless of the fact that he was a good 5 inches shorter. McCree held both his hands up in surrender, eyes wide in shock. Angela stepped back, hand moving to her concealed gun.

“Mr. Shimada, please, he did not mean to upset you,” Angela spoke calmly. Hanzo glanced over at the doctor before turning his glare back to McCree, stepping back wordlessly. Without comment he turned away.

“Genji,” Hanzo breathed out, making his way quickly toward Genji’s bed, pushing past Angela. The cyborg smiled a bit, reaching out to his brother as he made his way next to him. Hanzo grabbed his hand, sitting down beside the bed.

“I see you are being extra friendly today, brother,” Genji chuckled, leaning back onto the bed with a small grunt. Hanzo glanced away, grimacing as he gazed down at the greying skin on Genji’s torso.

“I do not care for such… ‘ _Southern Hospitality_ ’,” Genji could have sworn Hanzo gave a ghost of a smile as he mocked the cowboy. Genji chuckled before coughing roughly.

“Well, did you have to scare him away with his tail between his legs?” Genji watching as McCree was walking towards the door of the med bay, giving Hanzo one last glance back before exiting.

“Mr. Shimada, please, give him some space-” Angela suddenly spoke, coming up behind Hanzo.

“It’s fine… Angela,” Genji grunted out, smiling at the two of them. “I would rather… _Both_ of you be here now,”

Angela sighed, moving to the other side of the hospital bed.

“Fine, then I can start analyzing and treating your wounds while you tell me -- _us_ , what happened,” Angela glanced briefly at Hanzo, who was giving her a harsh stare, before starting to work on analyzing Genji’s fresh wounds.

-

“So this ‘Reaper’ shot you, Vishkar removed the metal but you still are experiencing such strange reactions?” Angela spoke, looking over the quick x-rays she took of Genji’s torso, “Such sloppy work, those Vishkar people did… I would barely call this a clean removal,”

“But Genji is continuing to die,” Hanzo huffed, expression disturbed. Genji nodded, gasping in a deep breath.

“I’m unsure of what powers that Reaper man holds… but I believe that is what is causing this,” Genji insisted. He was sweating now, yet shivering, unable to become comfortable. Had it always been so simultaneously freezing cold and boiling hot in the med bay?

“Well that much is obvious,” Hanzo grunted, Angela shot him an impatient look. Hanzo sighed, looking back to Genji.

“Your dragon, can you… Can you feel him…?” Hanzo spoke carefully, Genji sighed.

“You do not have to hold back information from Angela, I trust her with my life. Besides, she knows already,” Genji assured, squeezing Hanzo’s hand. Hanzo stared at him for a long moment before sighing out, facing her.

“Dr. Zeigler, you know about me and Genji possessing the spirits of the North and South dragons. They are connected to our life force. If one is hurt, so is the other. If one dies…” Hanzo looked down, his jaw tightening. Genji waited for Hanzo to speak, but he remained silent.

“What Hanzo is saying is that as you have seen when one dies… It takes a lot to kill one, and it leaves scars that will never heal on the host, but we can survive with only one, as we both had two to begin with. The twin dragons of the North and the South. I have lived with only one, but if the other dies-” Genji suddenly coughed, hard and rugged before attempting to take a deep breath again, straining to fill his lungs but they felt like they were being squeezed. Hanzo moved forward, resting his hand on Genji’s shoulder, eyes wide in shock and concern. Angela also moved forward.

“Genji, what must be done, I-I… I only know so much from when I rebuilt you…” Angela stammered, Hanzo could see that she was shaking slightly.

“His dragon must be called forward, and I have to heal him,” Hanzo spoke, looking Angela dead in the eye. Angela looked between Genji and Hanzo, questions rushing to her mind but none of them capable of coming out of her mouth. Wounds could not be healed with magic, this was madness that they were talking about, but Genji gently placed his other hand on top of Angela’s.

“He is right,” He spoke weakly. “Trust him,” he looked to Hanzo with warm eyes, “He is my brother,”

Hanzo looked away, eyes distant and sorrowful, as if doubting himself. He turned back to meet his brothers gaze, finally showing fear in his expression. He had already lost him once, and he still had yet to forgive himself. But this was a step in the right direction. Hanzo looked up to Angela, who finally nodded.

“Then do what you must do, I will help however I can,”

~

“Can’t we just see him real quick? We are really, _really_ worried,”

“I’m sorry, Lena, Lucio, he is still sleeping,” Angela spoke calmly, hands folded in front of her. Her lab coat was without wrinkle or bloodstain, so it was safe to say things were going well. Lena and Lucio both looked down, sighing together in defeat.

“Well, when can we see him then?” Lucio asked, persistence to see his friend soon.

“Once he wakes up. Right now, I cannot say for certain when that is,” Angela looked away, discomfort crossing her features “All members from the returning mission should get some rest though, and you will all required to come to me for check-ups tomorrow,” Angela looked directly at Lucio, “Normally after missions everyone is required to check with me or another medical personnel first after missions, but seeing as I currently have my hands full, the time has been pushed back,”

“Okay, good to know,” Lucio nodded his head. He glanced down the hallway, spotting what he could only guess to be Hanzo walking toward them. “A-ah… Is that Genji’s brother?”

“Oh, yes,” Angela nodded, speaking suddenly in a whisper, “Winston has given him a temporary room in the West hall. He won’t be leaving until Genji is well again just in case. But I warn you, he is not a very friendly type, I suggest keeping your distance,”

~

The rest of the evening was spent in an eerie quiet. Torbjörn and McCree cooked a full meal of Stuffed Peppers and Mac and Cheese for everyone in hopes of raising everyone’s spirits. The only two who didn’t attend dinner were Genji and Zenyatta, who had taken himself to his room to meditate. Hanzo appeared 30 minutes after the call time, his new presence causing uneasiness to wash over everyone. Grabbing his plate of food, he immediately left without a word, barely even making eye contact with anyone. McCree watched him carefully as he came and went, excusing himself from the table once Hanzo was out the door, promptly following the archer out. Overall the dinner conversations were kept to a minimum, Winston giving an official confirmation to declining Vishkars offer. Also, informing everyone that soon a small 3 person team would be going out to check in on an old eco-watchpoint in Antarctica. Winston had been receiving some readings that there was still something active within the eco-watchpoint that required an in-person check.

After dinner, the remainder of the group went back to their rooms. A few quick ‘Goodnight’s were exchanged, but everyone was caught with a shared thought, a shared question. What did the future hold for all of them, and for Overwatch?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3c
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos is appreciated, comments keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below! 
> 
> You can also find me at:  
> Tumblr: letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	13. Nightmare (NSFW - PLEASE READ CHAPTER SUMMARY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - RAPE/NONCON ELEMENTS PRESENT IN THIS CHAPTER.   
> REINHARDT HAS A DREAM THAT LUCIO AND REAPER DO SOME DIRTY  
> IF YOU WISH TO NOT READ THIS PART, I PUT THAT PART ALL IN ITALICS.
> 
> PLEASE IF YOU WANT ME TO TAG IT AS ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - RAPE/NONCON ELEMENTS PRESENT IN THIS CHAPTER.   
> REINHARDT HAS A DREAM THAT LUCIO AND REAPER DO SOME DIRTY  
> IF YOU WISH TO NOT READ THIS PART, I PUT THAT PART ALL IN ITALICS. YOU CAN SKIP OVER IT.
> 
> PLEASE IF YOU WANT ME TO TAG IT AS ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
> 
> THANKS ENJOY

~

_Reinhardt was not entirely sure where he was standing, but it all felt strangely familiar. The road was long and seemed to have no end, the shop before him blown out. The light above was blinding, making everything glow bright so it was hard to look at anything straight. He knew this place, but it was out of focus. He took a few cautious steps forward._

_“Reinhardt!” A voice suddenly yelled, sounding like it was echoing through a tunnel. Reinhardt turned towards the voice to see Lucio running across the street. “Help us move Genji!” Lucio yelled again, looking at Reinhardt with an urgent expression._

_Ah, yes, this was familiar. It was the street of the attack. Reinhardt looked back towards the blown out shop, Genji laid unconscious on the ground, blood pooling out of him. Lucio moved gracefully around like a dance, picking up Genji. But where was Zenyatta?_

_Reinhardt moved toward the pair, but the further he walked the darker the street seemed to become. Lucio gazed up from Genji, looking off to the left of Reinhardt. The Crusader turned as well, and was met with the sight of a man in dark clothing. Over his face was a mask so white it almost seemed like it was glowing, resembling somewhat of a mix of the face of an owl, or maybe a skull. But it was cracked, revealing the eye of the man behind the mask. It was dark brown, looking out with pure loathing._

_Time seemed to slow, the air coming to Reinhardt felt thick, as if he was breathing in water. He wanted to push the masked man away, shout him away with his voice, make him go away but when Reinhardt tried to take a step, his feet were stuck to the ground. He looked down, he was sinking slowly into a pit of black tar and smoke. He could hear his own heart thump loudly like a war drum in his ear. The masked man gave a bitter laugh, before a terrified yell echoed through the space._

_“Reinhardt! Help!” Lucio yelped in surprise, the crusader jerked his head toward Lucio to find that both he and Genji’s unconscious form were being entrapped in dark, smoky tendrils. Reinhardt growled, turning back to the masked man._

“ ** _Reaper!_** ” _Reinhardt bellowed out in rage, his hands balling into fists as he tried with all his might to jerk out of the dark pool sucking him into the earth. Reaper gave no reaction, the tendrils pulling Lucio and Genji into the air, forcing them toward him. Lucio’s mouth opened in protest, but no words came out._

_“Please, let them go!” Reinhardt shouted toward Reaper, voice on the verge of desperate. But Reaper continued to ignore him, instead walking around the two he had just ensnared. He came to Genji first, clawed fingertips grazing over the Cyborg’s skin._

_“Hmph… Good as dead anyway,” Reaper drawled, seeming bored. His hand gave a lazy wave, and Genji’s body was dragged away by the dark tendrils out of focus into the darkness. Reinhardt yelled in protest, chills going up and down his spine as he again tried to lunge forward toward Genji, but his arms felt so heavy, smoke wrapping around his wrists. Where the smoke touched he felt as if he was on fire. Reaper’s hand next went to Lucio, who was struggling in his bonds, eyes wide._

_“No, don’t touch him!” Reinhardt growled out, grunting in pain as the restricting smoke flared hotter against his skin. Reaper finally looked up, addressing Reinhardt’s presence._

_“Oh?” Reaper laughed, grabbing Lucio’s chin roughly, pulling him to look at Reinhardt. “And why not? He just looks so delicious…”_

_Reinhardt opened his mouth to protest, but Lucio’s sudden moan cut him off first. Reinhardt’s eyes went wide in shock at the sight of Lucio pressing his face into Reapers hand affectionately, eyes glazed over and out of focus. He could hear Lucio pleading quietly, words merely mumbles slipping past his lips for more. Reinhardt’s jaw tightened, again trying to lunge forward._

_“Lucio, snap out of it!” He yelled, but his words were drowned out by Reaper’s laughter, the man grazing his hands across Lucio’s back and hips._

_“See? Lucio likes it, don’t you?” Reaper cooed into Lucio’s ear, the DJ quickly nodding his head, mouth hanging slightly open as he panted._

_“Yes, yes!” Lucio squirmed where he was, the tendrils snaking their way up his arms and legs to his torso, coiling inky black appendages that seemed to come from the darkness around them. Reinhardt continued to struggle in his place, but he was being pulled down to his knees, it was becoming harder to move._

_“Lucio, please, snap out of it…” Reinhardt struggled to speak as smoke came around his chest, his breaths felt labored and thick. He watched as Reaper wrapped his hands around the smaller man’s hips, raking his talon-tipped fingers over his clothing, His pants falling in strips around his feet to reveal the lean body beneath slowly. Reapers laugh rumbled out, shaking the earth around him._

_“So responsive,” Reaper cooed, running his hand over Lucio’s pectorals, cutting away the fabric there as well. Lucio gasped when his chest became exposed. Dark skin shiny with sweat and chest heaving up and down as he continued to pant. Lucio looked down and away, face flushed dark._

_Reaper moved his hand to touch Lucio below the belt. Reinhardt growled, again trying to lung out of whatever held him, and he was able to stand back up for a moment but was pulled down yet again. He roared in frustration, baring his teeth in anger at Reaper._

“ ** _Don’t touch him, you vile creature!_** ” _Reinhardt’s words were filled with pure loathing and venom, and his anger only increased when his words were returned with a chuckle._

_“Why? He does not seem to be complaining,” Reinhardt could hear the smile in Reapers speech, turning back to Lucio and holding his face up to look at him. “Hmm, Lucio? Don’t you like this?”_

“ ** _Yes,_** ” _Lucio moaned out, leaning forward from where he was suspended to try and get more touch. Needy, wanting, yearning for more._

_“What do you want?” Reaper whispered, walking behind Lucio, resting his head right in the crook of Lucio’s neck, dark brown eye staring right at Reinhardt. “Do you want me to…? Touch you?” His fingers flicked Lucio’s nipples, earning a surprised gasp in pleasure. Lucio’s back arched out, Reinhardt could see everything. Reaper had torn away his pants and shirt, leaving only a thin pair of dark grey boxers to cover his private parts. The dark tendrils were wrapping around Lucio’s thighs now, pulling them apart. His arms were pulled up and above him, he was truly on display._

_He was beautiful, Reinhardt could not deny that. His frame, though small, was muscular. His thighs were a tad thick with muscle, but it only made sense that he had thicker thighs considering he was so athletic. But the sight of those dark tendrils wrapping around them only filled him with rage. He wanted to attack, rip Reaper apart and tear away those dark appendages. He wanted to cradle Lucio in his arms, promise him that he was okay, and whatever magic was over him would not come back. Because this was not normal._ **_This was not Lucio._**

“ ** _I want more_ ,**” _Lucio’s words brought him back, thick with lust and yearning for more. Reinhardt watched, horrified as he pressed his butt back into Reaper, who in turn reached around his hip to grab the smaller man’s cock, massaging it through the fabric. Reinhardt felt so weak, the smoke burning into his skin, dulling his senses. But he wanted to help, he wanted to hurt Reaper, he didn’t want to give up. He felt his eyes become hot with tears. No, he mustn’t cry, he had to focus. But what could he do? He watched as Reaper moved his mask just a tad, enough place his mouth on Lucio’s neck and bite down. The DJ moaned, loud and long. Reinhardt could see that a tent was growing in Lucio’s boxers under Reaper’s touches. When Reaper finally let go a dark bite shaped bruise was forming, skin blooming dark red from where he sucked on the DJ’s skin as well. Tears started to fall from Reinhardt’s eyes._

_Reinhardt looked down for that which came next, tears flowing from his eyes so much that even if he did look, it would all be a horrible blur. Instead he just listened to the lewd moans and mewls that came from the DJ’s mouth accompanied by wet slaps and an ever present rumble of laughter that seemed to come from everywhere. Reaper called Lucio names, dirty praise for how good he was for him. Reinhardt’s tears hit the pavement, leaving big wet splashes like raindrops, but he was silent. Lucio called out to him, moaning and pleading for release. Reinhardt was mad, he felt like his body was swelling in rage. How could he let this happen? He started to struggle again against the bonds that held him down, the smoky black tar that sucked him down to his knees. He grunted and roared, twisting and turning and fighting his way out. Reaper’s laugh taunting him, fueling him on._

_“What are you going to do, old man? What could_ **_you_** _do?” he heard the words echo around him,_ _repeating and distorting in the space._

_“I will… I will fight…” He panted, groaning in pain but he did not stop. He looked up, only a moment. Lucio was there, all there. Tentacles wrapped all around his torso, two or three holding each limb up and out for more access. A thick tendril had forced itself into his mouth, pumping in and out roughly. Smaller ones wrapped around his neck and nipples, squeezing and twisting. Another, he could see clearly, was fucking into his body, that tendril thicker than the rest and moving erratically. Hot tears streamed down Lucio’s face, his expression mixed with pain and pleasure. He twitched and shivered, the tendrils all moving out of sync on their own accord, drawing muffled moans from the DJ’s lips past the tendril invading this throat. He was dripping with sweat and what he could assume was something… else. Reaper stood beside Lucio, hands crossed over his chest. His single eye still staring, waiting for anything to happen, challenging Reinhardt._

_Reinhardt’s vision went red, wrath washing over him. He jerked out of the darkness below him, feet stomping onto the pavement. His chest heaved up and down with heavy breaths, hands tightening into fists. His skin burned, his vision was out of focus but he could see that eye, clear as day._

“ _How_ **_dare_ **_you_ **_touch him!_** ” _Reinhardt bellowed, he felt like he was almost vibrating in anger before he charged forward. He moved so fast, as if he was in his suit with its rocket propulsion. His hands were outstretched, reaching to grab Reaper. He was so close now, he could almost touch him but when he went to squeeze around the creatures throat, Reaper seemed to turn to dust. No – smoke, everything turned to smoke, including Lucio, the scene around him squeezed in on him, becoming smaller, darker and tighter. He felt his lungs constrict, choking on the air which now felt thick, like syrup. And that laugh, that damn laugh, ringing in his ears so loud it as painful._

_Reinhardt fell to his knees, holding his ears with his hands, hot tears streaming down his face again. He yelled in pain, everything was throbbing, pulsing and hurting. Pain, fiery hot pain. But also cold, too cold._

**_“Stop this!”_ **

Reinhardt jerked upright in his bed, body covered in sweat and arms and legs tangled in his bedsheet. He kicked the sheet away suddenly, heart racing in his chest as he watched it fall off the bed. He gazed around, his room dark around him. He quickly stood up, rushing over to the light switch and flicking it on, jerking around to look at the room around him. Nothing out of place, nobody else there. He was completely alone.

Reinhardt sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Nightmares were no stranger to Reinhardt, but that one was quite… _Vivid_ , and disturbing. He drew no pleasure from that. He sat back down on his bed, resting his head in his hands. On his face tears were drying from his sleep. He quickly tried to wipe them away, hugging himself gently.

“It was just a dream…” He mumbled to himself, but the emotions he felt were still there. Rage and fear. He knew that it was not really Lucio, and most likely that was not the real Reaper either, but still. If he ever encountered Reaper again… He sighed, he was not sure what he was going to do, how he would react.

His thoughts were interrupted with sudden knocking. Reinhardt’s eye brow cocked up, who could be knocking on his door at this hour? He stood up slowly, making his way toward the door. He opened it cautiously, peaking out. Standing in front of the door was a worried looking Lucio, and an annoyed looking Hanzo, both with tired eyes.

“L-Lucio?” Reinhardt greeted in surprise, a smile stretching across his face.

“Reinhardt-” Lucio started to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Hanzo.

“Why were you yelling?” Hanzo’s question sounded more like an accusation. Reinhardt’s eyes went wide, eyebrows going up.

“I was yelling?” Reinhardt questioned. Now that he thought about it, his throat did feel slightly raw.

“ _Yes,_ ” Hanzo hissed out, aggravated, crossing his arms over his chest and impatiently tapping his foot on the ground. He wore a black cotton long sleeve shirt and a pair of dark grey sweatpants, his long hair loose around his shoulders, a little tousled but otherwise he looked just as intimidating as usual. Lucio looked up at Reinhardt with concern, rubbing his eyes gently.

“Rein… Hanzo thought maybe you were being attacked from how you were yelling, he was about to barge into your room! I only heard… _some_ , but it sounded like you were angry…” Lucio spoke gently, stepping around Hanzo. “What’s wrong, man?”

Reinhardt stared down at Lucio for a long moment, his gaze lingering oh his face a moment more than comfortable, trying to replace what Lucio looked like in his dream with this image, of Lucio standing before him now in his pajamas, the low light making his features soft. It was infinitely more beautiful than whatever image a dream could create. He gave a small smile, sighing before rubbing his eyes with his finger and thumb.

“Nothing, just a bad dream… Nothing you should worry about. I’m sorry for waking you,” He looked toward Hanzo, who was looking him up and down as if trying to analyze him. Finally the archer gave a heavy sigh, walking away as quietly as a cat. Lucio stayed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Rein… Was it really _just_ a bad dream?” Lucio continued to press, his expression full of concern. Reinhardt hesitated, looking away from Lucio’s eyes, breaking eye contact.

“Yes, a bad dream. Nothing I cannot handle!” He cheered, trying to brighten the mood. “Go back to sleep, _Freund_ , I will see you in the morning,”

Lucio glanced up and down him one more time before giving a small smile, his blush barely visible in the dark.

“Okay, but I expect a little more info later! Take it easy, Rein,” he waved over his shoulder, walking back toward his room. Reinhardt smiled, leaning against the doorway.

Yes, he liked this Lucio much more than the apparition in his dream.

~

For the next few hours Reinhardt had barely-restful sleep until he decided to give up around 0730 hours, groaning as he pulled himself up again, dressed, showered, and headed toward the med bay. On this morning, he actually heard birds chirping, which was very rare to hear at the Watchpoint. He smiled to himself, wondering if a nest was being built somewhere within.

He walked in quietly, the morning sun illuminating the med bay with a heavenly-like glow. Reinhardt first noticed Genji was still on a medical bed, placed in the corner away from the center, a heart monitor connected to him beeping away. His heart rate was slow, but not irregular, as he slept quietly. All appeared to be well.

He continued in to find Angela was writing some notes on her clipboard, seated next to an examination bed. Reinhardt hummed contently, knocking on a table as he approached. Angela jumped slightly in her seat, eyes wide in surprise before sighing out in relief.

“Oh, Reinhardt! _Guten morgen_ ,” She smiled warmly, setting down her pen. “You startled me, you came in so quietly!”

“ _Guten Morgen, Angela. Entschuldigung,_ ” He chuckled as he sat down on the examination table next to her. “I am here for my check up?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you,” She smiled, standing up and pulling over a rolling table covered in assorted medical tools. She picked up the stethoscope with gentle hands and placed it around her neck, putting the ear pieces in gingerly.

 “Ready?” Angela asked, holding up the other end of the stethoscope.

“Yes ma’am!” Reinhardt smiled, rotating his shoulders once before she began.

The checkup went as it usually did, Angela asking the usual questions and giving basic instructions. ‘Open your mouth please’, ‘Take a deep breath’, ‘Is there any pressure when I press down on your stomach here?’ It had been years since he had a checkup from Angela but it felt as if it was almost yesterday. He remembered when she was just a medical assistant in the med bay, so many years ago. He was one of the first to offer himself as a practice subject for basic checkups and treatments. In wartime, nobody wanted an inexperienced doctor, but he had faith in her. She was so young then. All of them had been. Himself, Torbjörn, Jesse, Jack, Ana…. Gabriel…

“Reinhardt? Is there anything wrong?” Angela suddenly questioned. Reinhardt blinked, looking at her with a quizzical look.

“I beg your pardon?” Reinhardt asked. “I feel fine physically-”

“That’s not what I meant, Reinhardt,” Angela sighed, placing her clipboard on the table before facing him again. “You have been unusually quiet since you returned from the mission. I am not asking as your doctor, I am asking as your friend. Is anything… Wrong? Did anything happen?”

Reinhardt looked at her for a moment, still as sweet and genuine as when he first met her. And she almost looked just as young. He finally sighed, rubbing his eyes with his index finger and thumb.

 “It is about that Reaper man from the mission,” Reinhardt spoke solemnly, turning in his seat to look at Genji before looking back to Angela. “He seemed… familiar,”

“What do you mean, Reinhardt?” Angela pulled up her rolling stool, sitting down before taking a sip from her morning coffee.

Reinhardt went on to tell Angela about his entire interaction with Reaper. About the voice, the shotgun that he recovered from the attack, and how he saw part of the face of this “Reaper”. Angela followed as best as she can, but Reinhardt speaks so fast it’s hard to keep track of all of his words. He then suddenly stoped, looking down at his palms, sighing.

“Angela… Could it be possible…? That the dead can come back to life again?”

“Reinhardt…” Angela set her cup down, obviously uncomfortable.

“He just seems so familiar, Angela! He seems so much like…” He insists, not wanting to say it out loud. He looks at Angela with pleading eyes. She stands suddenly.

“Reinhardt, what you are suggesting is madness. There is no way that Officer Reyes is Reaper,” Angela’s voice has a tone of finality, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer. She quickly picks the clipboard back up again, writing notes.

“Anyway, you appear well, if not a little sleep deprived. Would you like a prescription of Melatonin?”

“Angela, you cannot just… You can’t just ignore this!” He almost shouts, raising his voice without really realizing it. It is not harsh, just loud.

“Reinhardt,” Angela’s tone softens, sitting next to him on the examination bed. “I know that their deaths where harder on you than most, but what you are talking about is the impossible. We could not even find enough of his body for the funeral from the fire…” She looked down sadly. Reinhardt rested one of his large hands on one of her petite ones, causing the corner of her lips to perk up in a melancholy smile. “Maybe Talon is… Trying to freak us out with subtle similarities, but it cannot be him. Do not think on this for too long,”

Reinhardt stared at her for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. She smiled, patting his shoulder before jumping off of the examination table, taking her clipboard and pen back up in her hands.

 “Well... Are there any other problems you are having?”

“Yes,” Reinhardt finally speaks after a moment of hesitation. “Do you have anything that could help with nightmares?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO TAG THIS CHAPTER/FIC AS ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos are appreciated, comments keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below!
> 
> Reach me directly:  
> Tumblr: Letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	14. First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reinhardt and Lucio take the day to just hang out and have fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! Hope you like this chapter, its filled with a lot of fluff and just a pinch of McHanzo interaction! Ahh, what will happen? Read to find out!

“So, you gonna tell me or not?”

The pair sat at the kitchen table in the kitchen, Reinhardt sipping his black coffee while Lucio was munching on a bowl of Lucio-o’s. Reinhardt chuckled warmly, rubbing Lucio’s head, his dreadlocks shifting around like wild snakes.

“’Fraid not, Lucio,” He smiled when Lucio squawked in protest, swatting the taller man’s hand away with a slight blush, fixing his hair with a pout. “It’s nothing major! Don’t worry about it!”

“You keep sayin’ that but this is not your first time having nightmares,” Lucio grumbled, shoving cereal into his mouth. “I’mf jusht wowwried-” He spoke with his mouth full, Reinhardt reached over and poked his jaw shut while sipping out of his mug.

“Manners, Lucio,” He chuckled again when Lucio rolled his eyes with a smile, swallowing his bite.

“How do those taste anyway?”

“Eh…” Lucio shrugged, taking a sip out of the bowl of milk, “Kinda sugary, but they are made with whole grains,” He smiled for a moment to himself, before blinking and looking back to Reinhardt, looking a tad frustrated. “You’re changing the subject-”

“Lucio,” Reinhardt spoke firmly, setting his cup down. He looked at Lucio gently, leaning toward him. “Please, I would wish to not speak about this anymore,”

Lucio stared at him for a moment, then finally nodded his head in understanding.

“Okay, that’s cool. I get it,” Lucio finally smiled, raising himself from the chair with his bowl in hand. Reinhardt.

“Thank you,” Reinhardt smiled, taking a deep breath in relief.

“But don’t think I’m letting you off that easy!” Lucio shouted, throwing his bowl into the sink and running back over to Reinhardt, gripping his shoulders tightly from behind, smiling and shaking him slightly. Reinhardt coughed in surprise into his coffee.

“Was?” Reinhardt gave a chuckle, wiping the coffee off of his lip before setting his mug down, turning in his seat to look at Lucio. He was met with a wide, mischievous smile.

“Yeah! You, me, lets hang out today! Angela is busy with check-ups and taking care of Genji, others are resting or getting ready for the next mission. McCree also told me he was gonna be busy today, sooo….” Lucio squeezed Reinhardt’s shoulders again, smiling.

“Come on, let’s have fun!”

~

“This is what do for fun 'round here?”

Reinhardt stood, smiling bashfully as he led Lucio to the outdoor track. He scratched behind his head, shrugging his shoulders. Lucio looked at him with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest.

“Can a man not enjoy a good morning jog before the start of the day?”

Lucio thought a moment before he finally shrugged, laughing a tad before smiling brightly. “Well, who am I to judge?”

Reinhardt smiled, before suddenly looking down at the DJ with a troubled look.

“Oh, um… Can you run with, um…? Your…?” Reinhardt blushed, pointing down at Lucio’s feet. Lucio looked down, blushing slightly.

“Yeah! Yeah, yeah, I can run!” Lucio leaned down, rolling his pants up to his knee, exposing the dark green plastic of his prosthetics. He wasn’t going to let this little thing ruin his chance to hang out with Reinhardt. “I can do it, no sweat!”

Reinhardt finally nodded, smiling warmly. Lucio blushed, walking past him. From his pocket he pulled out his phone and earbuds, tapping the screen a few times as he placed the buds into his ears. He grinned up at Reinhardt.

“Well, come on! Bet I can beat you in a race! Two laps ‘round!” Lucio began to run, it took a moment for Reinhardt to realize what was happening before he grinned, running after him.

Lucio was fast, yes, but without his gliding skates his strides were much shorter. Reinhardt caught up quickly, slowing his pace to run beside the DJ. Lucio’s lips went into an “O” shape, but gave no other reaction to Reinhardt catching up so quickly. Lucio narrowed his eyes, rushing forward much faster.

The two continued to run, passing each other multiple times back and forth before finally the race finally came to an end, both crossing at the same time.

“HA! I win!” Reinhardt exclaimed, Lucio immediately punching the older man in the arm.

“What? No way, my foot was further than yours, I won,” Lucio panted out, wiping his brow. As he slowed to a walk he proceeded tenderly, as if taking steps hurt. Reinhardt stopped, wiping his own brow.

“Are you okay, Freund?” Reinhardt questioned, coming close to Lucio. Lucio grit his teeth as he smiled, shifting from foot to foot gently.

“Y-yeah, just… These prosthetics weren’t built for high impact, you know?” He chuckled, Reinhardt gave a frown.

“You did not have to run, we could have done something else-” Reinhardt started, but Lucio shook his head vigorously.

“No!” He spoke almost all too eagerly. He coughed before continuing to speak. “No, uh… I want to do what you find fun! I can keep going!”

Reinhardt hummed disapprovingly, walking slowly around Lucio. Lucio’s heart was thumping heavy in his chest. The race didn’t help his heart as it seemed to try and escape his chest, and his knees throbbed from pain. Without warning Reinhardt wrapped his hands around Lucio’s waist, picking him up easily as if he was a doll.

“W-woah! Hey!” Lucio shouted, Reinhardt laughed as he set the smaller man on his shoulders.

“Well, we can’t have you hurting yourself, can we?” Reinhardt laughed, holding onto Lucio’s knees as he started to jog down the track again. Lucio bounced a few times before he held onto Reinhardt’s head tighter with his arms and legs, causing the Crusader to laugh.

Unknown to the two of them, on the raised observation walkway they were being watched. McCree had been walking through the Watchpoint, whistling to himself as he went, enjoying the cloudy day and cool air. Perhaps some rain was on its way? The spurs on his boots echoed through the stairwell hall before he came up to the observing platform. He took a moment to watch, figuring out what he was looking at. Reinhardt was carrying Lucio on his shoulders. Oh, how cute. He took a deep drag from his cigarillo, puffing out the smoke smoothly before dropping the butt into a nearby ashtray. It didn’t seem like they were aware of his presence. As Reinhardt ran around the track and grew closer to where he stood, McCree narrowed his eyes, staring more intently at Lucio’s legs. His calves seemed to reflect the light ever so slightly. In fact, they didn’t look like flesh at all… They were green…

“What in the hell…?”

McCree took a step closer toward the safety rail, about to shout and get both Reinhardt and Lucio’s attention, but he was suddenly pulled back by a hand over his mouth and a hand holding his right wrist, restraining his reach on his weapon. He gasped in shock, his metal hand jerking back to try and push whoever held him away, but whoever – or whatever – pulled him back was sturdy. McCree growled deep in his throat, biting on the hand held over his mouth. The mysterious attacker hissed in pain, grip loosening and McCree was able to yank himself away. He turned on his heel, quickly pulling out Peacemaker and raising it up with quick reflexes. He was a hair away from pulling the trigger when he was met with those piercing brown eyes.

Hanzo glared at him, hands held out in front of him and stance strong. McCree’s eyes went wide, lowering his weapon but not putting it away.

“Shimada?” McCree exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder before placing Peacemaker back in her holster. “Wh… What the fuck? What’cha do that for?”

Hanzo was dressed much more casually than when he arrived. Instead of his traditional Japanese garb, he wore a pair of dark jeans, black shirt and a dark green coat. His dark hair pulled up with a long, gold ribbon. Hanzo glared at him, placing a finger over his lips before motioning for McCree to come away from the railing with a quick jerk of his head. McCree knit his eyebrows together. He didn’t know much about this Hanzo character, except that he was rash, but also very precise with all of his actions. But he also knew that he was going to be staying here for a while and if Hanzo was going be staying, some sort of trust had to be formed between Hanzo and someone else other than Genji. The fact that he has already pulled a gun on him once, and Hanzo had managed to physically restrain him twice… This trust was off to a rocky start.

He stepped away, following Hanzo down a  little ways before Hanzo stopped hallway down the stairs, looking back to McCree.

“Care to tell me what you are doing nosing around the track?” McCree cocked a brow, tone friendly while also offering a smile.

“I could ask the same thing to you,” Hanzo replied, crossing his arms over his chest. McCree shrugged.

“Taking a morning stroll, thinking of maybe doing a bit of training. What were you doing here?”

Hanzo hesitated, a slight tinge coming to his cheeks before finally replying.

“I… Was looking for the kitchen, and I got lost,” Hanzo put simply. McCree tried to hold his snicker but failed, covering his mouth as he laughed. Hanzo’s jaw tightened, expression irritated.

“Are you mocking me?” Hanzo spat, McCree waved his hands in front of him, smiling warmly, chuckle fading.

“No, no! It’s an honest mistake!” He scratched behind his neck, trying to remain friendly, “But I mean what are you doing here, at the track, watching Rein and Lucio run around?”

“Ah,” He gazed up the stairs, “I did not mean to watch, I happened to catch them as they started. They… were racing,” He remained quiet for a moment. “It reminded me of Genji and I, when we were young,”

“Ah…” McCree nodded his head slowly, scratching his chin. He appreciated the honesty. “And, uh… Did you see, uh…?” He pointed to his feet, his voice faltered when he saw Hanzo’s harsh stare. He shifted on his feet awkwardly, feeling hot under the collar.

“The fact that he is an amputee? Yes. Even if he didn’t roll up his pants, the way he runs is different,” He spoke shortly. “Those prosthetics were not built for running, his joints are probably in pain. But it’s quite obvious, really…” He spoke plainly before looking back to McCree, who was looking at him with an air of realization. “What? Did you not know?”

“No…” McCree mumbled, looking down at his feet. Hanzo hummed in thought.

“Then there is probably a reason for that,” Hanzo shrugged, turning to walk away. McCree blinked, stumbling after Hanzo down the stairs.

“Well, how did you know that about amputees, Mr. Smarty-Pants?” McCree came up next to him. Hanzo gave a sigh, stopping again and quickly rolling up his own pants, revealing the metal plating over his legs. He glared back up at the cowboy.

“You lost your legs?” McCree questioned quietly. Hanzo huffed, giving a short laugh.

“No, I was born with no legs,” He glanced at McCree for a moment. “And you? What of your arm?”

“What?” McCree blinked, surprised. He held up his metal arm, grinning slightly as he turned it around to show Hanzo. “Ah… Lost it,”

Hanzo considered him for a moment with narrowed eyes before continuing on, not waiting or even seeming to care if McCree followed.

“W-where ya off to now, stranger?” McCree asked quickly, Hanzo glared back at him over his shoulder. He sighed heavily before answering, the southern drawl of the cowboy was getting on his nerves.

“To find the kitchen,” His words were short and with finality. McCree smirked, stepping up to walk next to Hanzo.

“And do you know where the kitchen is? I could show you around…” McCree offered as he chuckled, Hanzo’s lips pursed in annoyance.

“I can find it on my own, _Yankee_ ,”

“ _Oh_! You _wound_ me, Shimada!” McCree placed a hand on his heart, gesturing dramatically with his other arm to the archer. Hanzo rolled his eyes, continuing to walk as he tried to ignore McCree. The clouds above sprinkling rain gently down as a brief warning before a heavy rush of rain started to thunder down on the Watchpoint. Both Lucio and Reinhardt were caught in the torrent of rain, yelling and screaming in surprise as Reinhardt carried Lucio out of the rain, both laughing and they were soaked to the bone.

~

“What is this you are making me now?”

The pair were now seated in the Watchpoint common area, each one in a towel around their shoulders. Lucio held Reinhardt’s phone in his hand.

“A twitter account! It will be fun, I promise,” Lucio smiled, handing the phone back to Reinhardt. “Here, put your personal info in here!”

Reinhardt gave him a cheeky look before taking the phone.

“I remember Twitter, but I don’t remember how it really worked. What do I do?” Reinhardt mused as he continued to fill the information in.

“Well, it’s just a way to keep updated with stuff, see funny things… Stuff like that!” He smiled, leaning closer into Reinhardt to see his screen.

“Ah… Alright,” He mumbled, pressing continue. The camera opened, Reinhardt blinked and raised the screen.

‘”It needs my photo?” Reinhardt questioned, Lucio smiled and sat up, pressing into the frame of the camera.

“Yeah! Here, I’ll take the photo with you!” He smiled, Reinhardt gave a short, loud laugh before raising the phone again, clicking the button as the camera focused on the two of them. Reinhardt stared at the photo for a moment as Lucio tried to get a better look.

“Aw, it’s a little blurry!” Lucio sighed. “Do you want to take another one?” Lucio offered, but Reinhardt simply smiled, looking down at the photo for a moment longer. It had been quite a while since he had taken a photo with someone he cared for so deeply.

“No. I love it, it is perfect,” He hummed, clicking continue. He glanced down, catching as Lucio’s cheeks were dusted with red. The phone took a moment to load before it all popped up, showing the blank profile.

“W-well that’s good!” Lucio stammered, opening his own phone. “Now, you have to follow people! Here, I’ll follow you. What is your Twitter?”

The two exchanged twitters, Lucio laughing as Reinhardt proceeded to go through Lucio’s feed and like things one after another.

“You know you can follow other people, right?” Lucio smirked as he got his 25th notification from _Crusader08Online_.

“But I like ‘following’ you!” Reinhardt laughed, finally setting his phone down.

“N-no, I mean you can follow more than one person,” Lucio laughed, leaning his back against Reinhardt’s arm, drawing his feet onto the couch. Reinhardt nodded his head.

“Oh… Maybe later, I will figure out more of this mysterious ‘twitter’” He chuckled, slipping his phone into his pocket before leaning back into the couch, hands resting on the back of the couch. He looked down at the DJ tucked against Reinhardt’s side casually, scrolling through his own phone.

They sat just like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the casual contact and silence between them. It was not an awkward silence, it was not as if they could not think of conversation, but they were just enjoying each other’s company. The silence though was eventually broken by the sudden growl of Reinhardt’s stomach. Lucio jumped as he felt the slight vibration come from the crusader before laughing.

“Hungry?” He joked, raising himself off of the couch.

“Aye, I am,” Reinhardt admitted, rubbing a hand on his firm stomach for a moment before lifting himself up as well, following the smaller man out of the lounge. Lucio snickered, bumping Reinhardt playfully on the arm.

“Well, what’s that stomach craving, then?” Lucio’s asked, smiling brightly with a spring in his step.

“Hmm…” Reinhardt thought for a moment, “Schnitzel… Yeah, Schnitzel!” Reinhardt’s laugh boomed, echoing through the halls.

“Schnitzel?” Lucio questioned, “What is that?”

“Aah!” Reinhardt’s smiled wide as they entered the kitchen. “Schnitzel is a German classic! A pork filet, flattened and pan fried. Usually served with noodles, vegetables, fruits or potatoes…” Reinhardt hummed in contempt, grinning to himself. “Oh, my grandmother made the most delicious Schnitzel with noodles in all of Germany!”

Lucio could not help but smile at the way that Reinhardt’s face brightened completely just talking about food, it warmed Lucio in the center of his chest.

“Well, teach me how to make some, then!” Lucio beamed, stepping toward Reinhardt. The crusader laughed, patting Lucio on the back with more force than he probably intended, knocking the wind out of him accidentally.

“I would be honored to!” Reinhardt cheered, walking around to the refrigerator. Lucio took a moment to catch his breath before moving to stand next to Reinhardt.

Reinhardt took Lucio through every step, explaining how even though pork was his favorite, schnitzel could be made with different types of meat, and what paired with it best. Even though Reinhardt was so… Well, thick, he cooked with a poise and grace of a well-seasoned chef. Lucio laughed as Reinhardt beat the absolute shit out of the meat until it was nice and flat, even letting Lucio pound on a piece of pork, even though he treated it more like a drum pad then a piece of meat. Regardless, Reinhardt was smiling and encouraged.

Next they prepared the flour, egg wash and bread crumbs. Reinhardt showed Lucio how to prepare the meat first, beaming as he watched Lucio successfully cover the pork in the flour, soak it in eggs and cover it in breadcrumbs before moving away, looking through the cabinets for canola oil.

“Do you know how to pan fry, Lucio?” Reinhardt called from across the kitchen, pulling out bottles filled with various spices and dry ingredients from the cabinet.

In this moment, Lucio had a thought. Yes, of course Lucio did. Or at least he could figure it out. Really, how hard could it be to pan fry pork? But today Lucio’s goal was not to impress Reinhardt with cooking skills or anything like that, it was to get to know Reinhardt more. Get comfortable, build a trust. Get… _Closer._

“No, I don’t,” Lucio cooed, lowering his eye lids just a tad before gazing up at Reinhardt, giving him that million dollar smile. “Could you… Show me?”

_Bu-bump. Bu-bump._

“S-sure!” Reinhardt cursed the waver in his voice before he stepped over, bottle of canola oil in hand. He stepped directly behind Lucio, the smaller man easily fitting between Reinhardt and the counter. Lucio took a deep breath, calming his heart.

“First, we are going to put oil in the pan and heat it up,” Reinhardt instructed, placing his hand over Lucio’s to guide them, taking the bottle of oil. It was innocent enough, like a teacher guiding a student’s hand over piano keys, but his heart was still racing. Together they poured the oil into the pan, Reinhardt’s other hand moving to turn the burners on, turning the fire up. Reinhardt’s hands looked like baseball mits in comparison to Lucio’s, but they rested so gently on top and guided so carefully it was hard to imagine how much strength was behind those hands.

The oil heated quickly, Lucio bit his lip as Reinhardt took his hands again, picking up the pork.

“Now, place it so you lay it down away from you,” Reinhardt explained, tone soft as they laid it down together, oil sizzling as it was placed. The smell hit Lucio’s nose immediately, causing him to smile as the two of them moved to place the next piece on the pan.

“We have to cook quick, flip it over a couple times, thirty seconds on each side,” Reinhardt continued, reaching forward to grab a spatula from next to the stove. Lucio stiffened as Reinhardt pressed against his, focusing on staring at the food frying in front of him. Reinhardt leaned away, placing the spatula in Lucio’s hand. He wrapped his fingers around Lucio’s holding it firmly.

“Alright. Ready to flip?” Reinhardt smiled, tone happy. Lucio nodded his head quickly.

“I was born ready!” Lucio spoke confidently, but in all honesty, he hoped that the fact that he was shaking from excitement was not noticeable.

“Okay! One, two, three, _flip!_ ” Reinhardt cheered as the flipped the first one, laughing triumphantly as they continued. Lucio smiled proudly as they flipped them over and over two or three times each before finally placing the Schnitzel on a plate. Reinhardt smiled, stepping away.

“Good! Very good, Lucio!” He boomed, sweeping the plate up into his hands before moving to the table. Lucio took a deep breath, trying to calm his fast-beating heart before following.

Reinhardt set the table for the two of them with plates and glasses of water. They sat across from each other, Reinhardt beaming at Lucio.

“I want you to try it first, _Freund!_ ” Reinhardt insisted, Lucio smiled.

“Awe, what!” He flushed, picking up his utensils. “Well… if you insist,”

Reinhardt watched intently as Lucio took a bite, waiting in suspense as he watched Lucio’s face change. It went from curiosity to joy, smiling wide before swallowing, blushing.

“Reinhardt, this is delicious!”

~

Together they walked back to the hall they both resided in, laughing and chatting the entire way. Reinhardt had to admit, it had been a fun filled day with Lucio, and he really enjoyed spending more time with him casually. But in the back of his brain it continued to poke and prod at the idea of attraction. Lucio was relatively relaxed, kind and flirty as a person, but as the time went on he hoped that Lucio’s words meant more than just friendly praise.

Reinhardt was lost in thought as they neared his door, Lucio noticing his train of thought was elsewhere.

“Reinhardt? Hello?” Lucio called with a short snicker, snapping his finger in front of Reinhardt’s face, needing to go on his tip toes to do so. Reinhardt blinked back, shaking his head briefly before looking down.

“Ah, I am sorry, _Freund_ ,” Reinhardt apologized, giving a bashful smile. Lucio pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You sure everything is alright? You never told me what your nightmare was about,”

His nightmare! Goodness, it felt so long ago now. Most of the details were so fuzzy now, it was hard to recall it at all. But he could still remember Lucio’s face, in pain but also in bliss. Reinhardt shrugged his shoulders, brushing Lucio off.

“Bah, I barely remember it now. I’m fine!” Reinhardt assured, pointing to himself with his thumb. Lucio cocked a brow.

“Really?” He accused. Reinhardt chuckled nervously.

“Nothing wrong but a little back pain,” Reinhardt smiled. Lucio thought for a moment before smiling.

“I-I could give you a back rub!” Lucio offered, bouncing slightly. Reinhardt blushed before guffawing.

“ _Freund!_ You are too kind! You don’t have to do that for me!” Reinhardt assured, but Lucio was already moving toward the Crusaders bedroom door.

“But I want to!” Lucio assured, opening the door. “I got magic fingers, man! Just a little rub!”

Lucio had caught him, Reinhardt bit his lip.

“Okay… Just a little,” He tried to sound relaxed, but his heart had picked up the pace. Lucio cheered, moving toward the bed in the room. Reinhardt kept the room relatively clean and orderly, a t-shirt and a pair of jeans the only thing on the floor. Lucio jumped onto the bed, bouncing slightly.

“Here, sit down!” Lucio pat the bed. Reinhardt sighed, chuckling under his breath as he sat down. Lucio crawled around the bed, kneeling behind him. Lucio rested his hands on the older man’s broad shoulders firmly, drumming his fingers.

“Just relax, and let me make you feel better,” Lucio spoke soothingly. Reinhardt glanced over his shoulder for a moment before finally nodding, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

“Okay,”

Lucio had not been wrong, his hands made easy work of Reinhardt’s tense muscles and shoulders. Reinhardt sighed after a moment, visibly loosening and relaxing back, leaning into Lucio’s hands. He emitted a low groan in pleasure. Lucio bit his lip as he smiled, continuing to rub and press and massage his muscles. It was so relaxing, he felt like clay in Lucio’s hands. He leaned forward onto his knees, humming contently.

“Lucio, where did you learn to give such amazing massages?” He mused, letting his eyes flutter closed.

“Ah, my physical therapist. She’s pretty cool,” Lucio explained, rubbing his elbow in small circles now along Reinhardt’s spine. “It’s pretty helpful when I’m on tour and everyone is stressed out,”

“Well,” Reinhardt chuckled, groaning again in pleasure as he felt a knot in his back unravel, “Your hands are brilliant,”

“Well, this ain’t the only thing they can do,” Lucio chuckled. Reinhardt flushed pink.

“ _W-Was?_ ” He laughed in shock, turning around to look at Lucio fully. Lucio had a mischievous grin on his face.

“I mean when I mix my music,” Lucio replied coolly, rubbing Reinhardt’s shoulders as he spoke with a sultry smile. Reinhardt stared at him for a long moment before a booming laugh burst out, shaking the walls.

“Lucio! You pull my chain!” He chuckled, Lucio giggled lightly behind him, crawling back around to sit next to Reinhardt. Lucio flushed, scratching behind his neck.

“Hah, sorry,” He rested his hands in his lap, looking down at the carpet. They sat in silent for a moment, unlike the silence before this one was awkward. Lucio finally sighed, looking toward the older man.

“I… I really enjoyed today, Rein’” Lucio smiled, placing his hand on top of Reinhardt’s. The older man glanced down at it, a smile creeping to his face.

“I enjoyed the day, too,” He replied, voice soft and genuine. Reinhardt felt as Lucio’s fingers wrapped around Reinhardt’s, the DJ looking down, melancholy crossing his features, biting his lip gently.

“Lucio? Is something wrong- _MM?!_ ”

It was sudden and unplanned, and a wave of warmth rushed over his body. Lucio leaned up and kissed Reinhardt, his one hand remaining holding onto Reinhardt’s while his other drew the Crusader’s head lower to him. He had no time to react, only enough time to register the spark that flew between their lips and the softness of Lucio’s lips against his, his fingers tangling into his silver white hair before he pulled away, falling off of the bed. Reinhardt gasped, staring at Lucio in shock. It was pleasant, yes. Oh god, it was amazing. His heart seemed to rise up into his throat.

“L-Lucio?” Was all Reinhardt could croak out before Lucio quickly scrambled off the floor, staring at Reinhardt with scared, wide eyes.

“I-I-I-Im sorry, I-I…” Lucio stammered, taking a step back and away. Reinhardt stood up, reaching out to the DJ but that seemed to bring Lucio even further on edge.

“Lucio, I- _Wait!_ ” Reinhardt called as Lucio quickly fled the room, slamming the door behind him. Reinhardt fell still. It felt like a bucket of cold water had just been dunked over his head. His hand came up to his lips, touching them tenderly, feeling the ghost of Lucio’s against them.

_He kissed me._ He thought. _He just kissed me. But why me?_

Reinhardt moved back to his bed, slowly lowering himself to sit. He rested his head in his hand, mind racing a mile per minute.

_What... had just happened?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT?
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos is appreciated, Comments keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below.
> 
> Or! Reach me!  
> Tumblr: Letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	15. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Widow dances, Lucio calls Hana, Reinhardt talks to Torbjorn. The Antarctic mission team brings back a survivor and Symmetra has a change of heart and mind with the help of a... new friend. 
> 
> Lots of short scenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone wants to know - The song Widowmaker dances to is Clair De Lune by Debussy - which is one of my favorite piano pieces ever.
> 
> Look at me speed writing another chapter.
> 
> Edit: okay so like Widowmaker was confirmed to be a ballerina and that just really hit me in the feels. I just hand to write a little homage to it. I like to think that it helps her deal with her whole... No emotion thing a little? 
> 
> I love her. Enjoy this chapter.

_One and two and three and four…_

**_My heart no longer beats, but when I listen to this song, it feels like it is whole again, if not for a moment._ **

_Five and six and seven and eight…_

**_The piano fills my mind, like an artificial pulse. No emotion, they told me. Yet I feel… sad._ **

_One and two and three and four…_

**_I never know why. My feet move on their own, a delicate dance like a spider upon her web._ **

_Five and six and seven and eight…_

**_Turning, turning, everything turns anew. Just like life, just like death._ **

_One and two and three and four…_

**_Life and music. Both end in time._ **

_One and two and three and four…_

_One and two and three and four…_

_One and two and three and-_

“ ** _Widow,_** ”

Amélie opened her eyes slowly, bringing her leg down from its completely vertical position so both feet were on the floor. She turned her head slightly, glancing toward the source of the sound; the dance studio door. Gabriel leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. He wore his mask, stark white against his charcoal hoodie. He didn’t always wear the mask outside of missions, only when he was having one of his… _Episodes._ It was in the better interest of everyone that his face remained unseen.

“Gabriel,” Amélie sighed in reply, walking toward him. Her ballet shoes made little to no sound against the shiny polished floor. He rarely interrupted her when she was dancing, he knew that it was her private time. “What is it?”

“Sombra wanted you to know that she’s making a connection,” He growled, rising himself off of the doorway. “Be ready for a mission soon,”

Amélie rolled her eyes, crossing her slender arms over her chest. She raised a thin brow “And this could not wait for until I was done?”

Gabriel stared at her, the gentle music continuing to play through the silence. He sighed, it sounded rough and ragged.

“…Sorry,” He finally admitted, turning away.

“You know I am not mad,” Amélie clarified. Gabriel didn’t respond as he walked away. She sighed, soft and melancholy. She turned back around to face the full-wall mirror again. The music came to a soft conclusion before starting from the beginning again. She took a slow breath, raising her arms over her head to begin the dance again.

~

“You are dismissed, Miss Vaswani. Go back to your office,”

Satya bit her lip, straightening her posture before finally nodding, turning and walking out of the conference room. So her assumptions had been true, she would be unable to get clear answers from her higher ups, just like with the Calado incident and the Mayor.

Satya’s heels clicked upon the ground as she walked down the hall toward her office. What was she to do? She could not get that ruffian’s words out of her mind, the seed of doubt planted inside her. She had to convince herself that she was doing the right thing back then, but could she do it again? She had to be overthinking this, just like with Calado. But… Her intuition had never been wrong before, right? She sighed as she approached her desk, sitting down before resting her head in her hands.

She sat in silence for maybe 15 minutes before she finally raised her head, rubbing her eyes as she took a deep breath. She had time to dwell later, but for now she had to continue her work. She had only speculation and words, no hard evidence for her doubts.

She powered on her desktop terminal’s screen, waiting for it to power up. She tapped her finger on the desk, staring out the window. Her terminal gave the familiar _pling-a-ling,_ returning her attention to the terminal. She stretched her back, laying her fingers on the computer keyboard.

The starting screen came on, Vishkar’s symbol glowing brightly on the screen. Then, a flicker. Satya cocked an eyebrow, clicking the mouse a few times before the screen turned black.

“What the…?” She reached forward, touching the side of the terminal before it appeared to fizzle. She jerked her hand away as a new screen blinked onto the monitor, binary code rushing down its reflective face. This was not any normal malfunction. Perhaps she should turn it off?

Before she could even move to touch the power button, the numbers disappeared and a new logo took the screen, flickering a few times. It was magenta, and somewhat resembled a skull shape. Symmetra leaned forward, squinting at the screen.

“What is the meaning of this?” She asked aloud to nobody in particular. The icon flickered off, in the upper left corner a blinking typing icon appeared. Text started to appear.

‘Hello, Satya.’

Satya blinked, fingers retracting away from the keyboard. The typing cursor continued to spit text.

‘I know what you want.’

A chill raced down Satya’s spine. She looked around the room, trying to find a source. Was she being watched? Again, the computer gave more text.

‘Are you afraid of me, Satya? I just want to talk.’

A new typing cursor joined the first one, this one light blue. Sayta waited for more text, but none came. Maybe she could type something? She moved her fingers back to the keyboard.

‘Who are you?’

The first cursor typed again.

‘A friend, and I hope you will be mine, too. ;)’

Satya could feel her heart rate increase. She typed again.

‘Who are you? What do you want? Why are you invading my terminal? How did you invade my terminal?’

If this was a friend, maybe they could answer her questions?

‘Those are unimportant questions. I’m here for what you want.’

_I suppose not._ Satya raised a brow. The cursor continued to type.

‘I hear you want some information about who you work for. I can give it to you, for a price.’

Satya grimaced. Whoever this person was, they certainly had done their research. Was it an inside job? The blue cursor returned again. But they said ‘For a price’, of course. Nobody did anything for free. But… If they had what she wanted, information. She chose not to even question how they may have even got it.

‘What do you want?’

She waited in silent suspense, the mysterious person taking longer to respond.

‘One of the best light architects in the world? I have always wanted a friend like that. I will give you the information you seek, if I can come back to you for a favor later.’

Satya leaned back in her chair, tapping a finger to her chin. This person was obviously shady, this was some sort of trap. The blue cursor blinked in waiting. She finally leaned forward again, typing.

‘How can I know I can trust you?’

…

‘You can’t.  But you can know that I have exactly what you want. So… what do you say, _amiga?’_

~

“Hana, I fucked up!”

Lucio sat in front of his laptop at his desk, head in hands and hot tears on the verge of falling from his eyes. On his screen Hana Song sat thousands of miles away, eating a bag of chips.

“What did you do? Are you okay?” She asked, munching on a chip before setting the bag down, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I-I kissed him, Hana,” Lucio looked up, glancing at the camera lens as he wiped his eye. Hana gasped, hands coming to her mouth.

“You did? O. M. G!!!” She squealed, clapping excitedly.

“No! Not good!” he almost yelled back. Hana stopped, cocking her head.

“Why?” She asked, concerned. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“W-well, yeah, but…” He sighed, rubbing his temple. “It wasn’t… Wasn’t what I thought it would be…?”

Hana gasped, she whispered into her mic. “Is he a bad kisser?” Lucio could not help but snort.

“No!” He sighed, resting his forehead on the desk. “He’s a great kisser…” He replied hopelessly.

“Well, what did you do wrong then?” Hana pouted, crossing her arms.

“It just… _Happened._ No build up, no warning. And then after, I just… Ran out of the room,” Lucio explained, wiping his eye. Hana looked solemn on the other end of the video.

“Oh, Lucio…” She cooed, pretending to pat his back in the air. “It will be okay! Maybe you can talk to him?” 

Lucio looked away, rubbing his arm.

“I’m not even sure if I can face him again,” He mumbled.

“Lucio!” She gasped, pouting with her hands on her hip. “You will have to talk to him at some point, mister! You’re team mates, you can’t just avoid him!”

Lucio looked down, scratching behind his neck.

“Speaking of the team… When are you coming?” He glanced back up at the screen. Hana sighed.

“I’m still waiting for the confirmation from the MEKA team,” She drummed her fingers. “Winston was talking to them… I still don’t know if I will be deployed to join at this point,”

Lucio sighed, staring down at his hands.

“Well, I hope you find out soon. Would love to have my best friend here with me,” He grinned, looking at Hana. She smiled, blushing.

“Awe, so sweet!” She giggled. “But, back to your problem,” Lucio grimaced. He hoped he had changed the subject successfully.

“Lucio,” She started, shifting in her seat to look more serious. “You’re smart. You’re funny, kind, and cute! You and this guy seem to be good friends, and from what you have told me he seems to like you too!” She smiled. “And, regardless, this is a good friendship you have with him. I think you should talk to him. Even if he does not like you back romantically, I think that you should try to keep the friendship at least!”

Lucio blushed. Leaning back in his seat and sighing. She was right, he didn’t want to lose him. He didn’t want to lose his friend because of this.

“You’re right,” He groaned. Hana smiled, particularly pleased with herself.

“Of course I am!” She giggled. “Now, I have to get going. Text me if anything happens! I want all the juicy details!”

“You got it, Han’” He chuckled weakly. He waved to her as the video cut out. He groaned, leaning back in his seat. He had not left his room yet this morning, and the kiss had happened last night. He touched his lips gently, the sensation of Reinhardt’s against his he could still feel. They were slightly rough, but it was not unpleasant. God, it felt amazing to do it, but he knew that it was wrong. He did it without consent, then ran out afterward. God, what did Reinhardt think of him now? Did he hate him? Did he never want to speak to him again?

He cringed, he couldn’t avoid Reinhardt forever. The mission team – Winston, Lena and McCree – left late last night but was already returning back to base later today with a surprising discovery – Someone had been found alive down at the Antarctic base! And they had arrived just in time, there was absolutely no provisions on base for her so they had to transport her immediately. Everyone who could was expected to be there when they arrived.  Even Genji wanted to be there when they arrived even though he had awoken yesterday and he was barely well enough to stand, let alone stay awake for long periods of time. He had heard that Hanzo had remained at Genji’s side most of the night.

Lucio raised himself up out of his desk chair. He had to tackle this day eventually. Maybe he should visit Genji in the med bay? Do a bit of training? Hell, he could do anything as long as Reinhardt was just… Not there. Thinking of being in the same room as him made his stomach twist in a sickening way; He felt guilty. He knew he had to face him eventually, just… Not now. He groaned, pulling a dark green hoodie over his head and pulling the hood up, tucking his dreads away.

~

“What did he do to ye?”

Reinhardt was squatted down on the smallest stool he had ever seen in Torbjörn’s workshop, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. He had a goofy grin on his lips, only thing missing was hearts for pupils.

“He kissed me, Torb’,” He sighed. Torbjörn crinkled his nose, wiping the oil off of his hand.

“He kissed you, eh?” Torbjörn chuckled, pulling an equally small stool up to sit in front of Reinhardt. Reinhardt nodded absently, humming in confirmation.

“But what do I do?” He asked, looking down at Torbjörn desperately. The shorter man cocked a brow, crossing his arms.

“What are you looking at me fer?” He questioned. Reinhardt pouted slightly.

“Well, you’re married!” He gestured to Torbjörn. He glared up at him, Reinhardt exasperatedly gesturing some more as if trying to prove a point.

“Yeah. But we’ve been married for _35 years_. I don’t know anything about dating!” He laughed when Reinhardt rested his head in his hands, seeming defeated.

“Maybe I am too old for this,” he sighed, looking down at the floor. Torbjörn looked him up and down, considering him for a moment. Reinhardt was his friend, and it had been a long time since he liked anyone like this. Torbjörn eventually groaned.

“Oh, don’t look like that. You look like a soggy towel,” Torbjörn leaned forward, tapping the Crusader’s knee. Reinhardt glanced up at him, not sure if he should be insulted.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened exactly?” Torbjörn offered, leaning back a bit.

“Well… We had spent almost all day together prior. We went back to the hall with our rooms, when he offered to give me a back massage…” Reinhardt explained. Torbjörn whistled. Reinhardt blushed, waving him off.

“Oh, quiet. It was not like that,” He assured. Torbjörn shrugged, chuckling. “Anyway… _Mein Gott_ , Torbjörn. His hands can work muscles like a baker kneads dough,” He sighed, that goofy smile returning to his lips. Torbjörn snapped his fingers, returning Reinhardt’s focus.

“Focus. The kiss, what happened?”

“Oh, yes…” Reinhardt sat up straight. “Well, Lucio sat next to me, he looked conflicted. One moment I was asking him what was wrong, the next…” Reinhardt blushed. “He kissed me. But as sudden as it happened, he was gone!” He held his hand up, tightening his fist as if he was trying to grab something out of the air.

“He left?” Torbjörn questioned.

“He not only _left_ , he _ran!_ ” Reinhardt confessed, sighing. “He looked so nervous, like he had just committed a crime…” He took a deep breath, looking down at his hands. “I don’t know what to do, or what to say. He is… Sweet, but why would he want to be with me? I don’t want to hold him down, he is so much younger…”

The two sat in silence for a moment, Reinhardt staring at the ground, mind swimming with thoughts. Torbjörn stared at Reinhardt, thinking of what to say. What was he _suppose_ to say?

“Well, Wilhelm,” Torbjörn finally spoke, standing up. Reinhardt raised his head hopefully, Torbjörn giving him a grin as he stepped forward, patting his shoulder.

“Sounds like t’me that Lucio is… Maybe confused. Trying to figure out how he is feeling. And it sounds like maybe you are a little confused too,” He spoke gently, Reinhardt nodded his head in understanding.

“Yes…” Reinhardt lamented.

“ _So_ ,” Torbjörn continued, “Let _him_ approach _you_ about it, in his own time,” He squeezed his shoulder, assuring that it would be okay. Reinhardt looking at him as if he knew he was right, though he wished he was not. He nodded, sighing.

“You are probably right,” He admitted, sighing. He stood up, feeling even more giant in the workshop. “Thank you, my friend. I appreciate the chat,”

“Any time, ya big lug,” Torbjörn chuckled. “Just happy to say I _called_ it,”

Reinhardt glared down at him before he smirked, chuckling as he tip-toed his way out.

~

Satya leaned back in her seat, running a hand through her hair. She felt like the world was spinning at half speed. Every business transaction, video, email… _Everything._ All the proof that one would need from this mysterious new “Friend” with a skull symbol. Satya glanced around nervously, clicking her terminal off before standing up quickly, pacing the room.

What was she to do now? Her morals couldn’t let her continue here, that was for sure. But her morals also told her that maybe this was the greater good. Everything in history had sacrifices that had to be made, but really… All the lives, the treachery, the double crossing and stealth. And she had been part of it, a puppet. She hugged herself, shivering slightly. She felt dirty and used, the prosthetic on her, for the first time ever, feeling… _Foreign_.

She moved to the window, staring out at the city below her. All of the plans to make it a better place. Rebuild, more beautiful. Perhaps that future was still plausible… But not here. Not this.

She moved to her supply table, grabbing a programmable teleportation pad and her laser gun.

_I **will** work for the greater good of the world, but not here._

~

Lucio whistled as he walked a leisurely pace. He had been able to avoid Reinhardt all day, but it was finally time to go to the landing bay and welcome the mission team back. And finally time to face his fear… _Maybe_.

If he didn’t do anything, he could already hear Hana’s disappointed voice in his head.

He walked along with a dance in his step, beatboxing to the tune in his head, desperately trying to relax. At the rate he was going, he would arrive at the landing pad _just_ in time for the mission team to arrive. When he arrived, that would give minimal time for interaction with Reinhardt. _Then_ he would offer to accompany Mercy to the med bay with the scientist they rescued-

His brain didn’t register what happened, but he was suddenly on his feet and his ears were ringing and eyes blinded. He groaned, groping around him, trying to grab something to ground him. He blinked multiple times, but his hearing came back first. He heard clicking shoes, then a gasp, the footsteps approaching.

“It’s you, the DJ,” The voice spoke. Lucio continued to blink, rubbing his eyes. She sounded _… Familiar_.

“W-who?” He reached out, his vision starting to come black. They were a grey blur.

“Where is the one you call Winston?” The voice asked sternly. Lucio squinted at the blob.

“Who are you?” He asked. He felt hands cease him, lifting him to his feet. The blob dusted him off, muttering to herself.

“I need to speak with Winston immediately,” She continued, her blob coming more into detail. Lucio pushed her away, immediately losing his balance again and almost falling.

“Lady, who _ARE_ you?” He questioned, aggravated. He tried to focus on the woman, her details coming more into view. She wore a blue dress, he could tell that much.

“My name is Satya Vaswani,” The blue lady replied, Lucio squinted again, more details coming through his blurred vision. Her long black hair, her thigh high black socks… or were they boots? The shiny gold details on her dress. Intense brown eyes. One of her arms was… White…

“Y-You!” Lucio took a step away, rubbing his eyes. “W-what the fuck?!” He shouted. She glanced around, obviously uncomfortable.

“Please…” She held out her hands in surrender. “I am not a hostile,”

Lucio looked her up and down, obviously not buying it. His hands tightened into fists.

“Your company has given me no reason to trust. So why should I believe you?” He spat. She glanced down again, thinking.

“I come with… Information,” She started to explain. “Information that I _need_ to share with your leader as soon as possible,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos is appreciated, comments keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below! 
> 
> Or! Contact me here!  
> Tumblr - Letmeshinebright  
> Twitter - LeoRaTuba


	16. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha guess who procrastinated take this fucking short chapter just take it away from me. aguahgjk fuck
> 
> I honestly could not make it longer i fucking tried im sorry aaaah shit

“Satya, slow down, _please_ …”

Winston, Satya, Lucio and Lena were all seated around a long table in the conference room. Zenyatta sat between Satya and everyone else, acting as mediator of the group. Everyone else was in the med bay with the Antarctic survivor, Mei, tending to her.

Satya took a deep breath, glancing at Zenyatta.

“I will start from the beginning again,” She scanned across the whole table before returning her gaze to Winston.

“From an anonymous source, I received intel of every single file, bank statement, transaction, interview, email…. _Everything_ that one would need to provide a proper testimony against Vishkar,” Satya spoke slowly, her finger tips touched together on top of the table.

Lucio scoffed from his seat, leaned back in his chair.

“Called it,” He remarked, earning a murderous glare from Satya. Zenyatta held his hands up, looking between the two.

“Calm your hearts. We are all friends here at this table, are we not?” Zenyatta addressed the pair, his bell-tone voice calming the table. Lucio glanced at the Omnic before sighing, looking away.

“Yeah yeah,” he mumbled.

“Satya,” Winston chimed, resting a large hand on the table across from her, “You said that a… _Anonymous_ source gave you this information?”

Satya nodded her head on confirmation. Winston hummed in contemplation.

“That’s quite odd, in’nit?” Lena thought aloud, Winston nodded his head in confirmation.

“Yes, it is,” He confirmed.

“How can we even know that this Vishkar Architect is telling us the truth? Or this weird ‘Anonymous’ source?” Lucio accused, leaning forward in his seat. Satya’s lips pressed thin in discontent.

“I can provide you with all the files that I was able to upload onto my personal portable drive…” Satya assured but Lucio shook his head.

“No no, files and data is nothing to big corps who have more data than they know what to do with,” Lucio spat. Zenyatta looked to him, though expressionless he could tell that he was disappointed with the harshness in his tone. Satya stared at him for a moment. Was the look in her face desperate? She tore her amber eyes away, looking to Winston instead.

“I also have plans. Future plans for what Vishkar wants to build. Entailed in multiple emails were transactions of purchase for the construction of light-tech materials in Egypt,” She explained. Winston leaned forward in interest.

“But… Vishkar does not have a branch in Egypt,” Lucio added, “The business plan was turned down by the president of Egypt,”

Satya looked back to Lucio, behind her eyes was sadness and guilt he had yet to ever see before.

“That has not stopped Vishkar before,” She spoke softly, but her few words sent chills down everyone’s spine. “Some emails went more into detail of the possible courses of actions that Vishkar may soon set in motion,” She added finally, allowing everyone to let it sink in.

“So, do we bring this to the Council?” Lena chirped, breaking the icy silence.

“No, we don’t have time! We have to act now!” Lucio burst out, hitting his fist on the conference table. Satya jumped from the shake and sudden loud sound. “We are a step ahead of them, we could stop whatever they are going to do!”

“Lucio, it is a little more complicated than that,” Winston reminded him, scratching his chin. “Running blindly into Egypt while we are still considered outlaws…”

“Well we can’t just sit around and do nothing!” Lucio combated, rising out of his seat. The look in his eyes was self-assured and passionate. “I’ve seen first-hand what they can do to people, the pain…” Lucio glared at Satya, gaze full of malice. She froze up, fingernails firmly gripping the chair under her.

“I-” Satya uttered, but Lucio put up a hand, tearing his eyes away.

“I don’t want to hear it! I don’t care what cards you brought to the table. Until I see some actual change... _I. **Don’t.** Trust you_ ,”

With his last four words he stabbed his finger against the table harshly, venom on his tongue and leaning forward toward her. He stepped aside, walking toward the door without another word.

The remaining group all glanced around at each other, Satya opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Slowly Zenyatta rose from his seat, folding his legs together.

“Do not worry, my friends,” He gently informed, floating toward the door that Lucio had stormed away through. “He has a lot of anger stored within him. This is the true first opportunity to release it, though it is no excuse for rudeness.”

The omnic spun around, looking to Satya. His head cocked slightly, his orbs spinning counterclockwise while ringing a calming, bell tone.

“I apologize for Lucio for startling you, Miss Vaswani. Please, do not hold it against him,”

And with that the Omnic monk floated out of the door, leaving the remaining three alone.

It did not take long for Zenyatta to find Lucio again. He had not gone fare before he sat down, glaring out at the ocean from where he sat on a raised walkway. The moon left a trail of silver light upon the shifting water before him, the lapping of the sea against the base could be heart softly serenading the evening and eliminating its silence. Zenyatta drifted down, feet tapping against the metal walkway. Lucio looked up quickly, eyes wide in a slight surprise before sighing, looking away again.

“Something is troubling you, my friend,” Zenyatta mused. It was not a question, but a statement. Regardless he still sounded concerned as he approached. Lucio continued to stare out, not raising his head to address the monk.

“Our new tenant, Satya. She brings you discomfort. Or at least the company she represents does…” Zenyatta continued, folding his legs in a crisscross as he came to rest next to Lucio. “Well, I guess now… It was who she used to,”

Zenyatta turned to Lucio, but the DJ still did not let up his harsh glare, now staring down at his hands resting on his lap. Zenyatta looked away, gazing forward at the beautiful sea before them.

“I know that Vishkar makes you upset, but-”

“Look, I don’t want to hear it,” Lucio interrupted gruffly, hands balling into fists on his lap. “I don’t want to hear that ‘they shaped you into who you are today!’ O-or, ‘without them you would not be here!’ or any of that…. Blah blah blah _bullshit_ I’ve heard a million times!” Lucio jerked himself up, kicking the air angrily as he shouted, stepping forward away from Zenyatta. He rested his hands on the rail, fingers gripping tight. Zenyatta remained silent, unmoving and listening.

“Not everything that hurt me made me a better person!” Lucio yelled into the sky. Even in the low light of the moon Zenyatta could see that the man’s shoulders trembled as he spoke. His voice lowered to a whisper, wiping his eye of the hot tear that welled there. “Not everything that happened ended up being okay…” He turned his head back, glancing at Zenyatta for a moment.

“Sometimes… the pain was just pain,”

They both remained still for a long time. Eventually Zenyatta rose up again silently, stepping up next to the DJ. He rested a heavy hand on Lucio’s shoulder, his gaze toward the water. Lucio could feel his trembling relax under the Omnic’s hand, releasing tension in his neck and back.

“Everyone expects me to be the optimist all the time…” Lucio continued, straightening up to look at Zenyatta. “But… It’s hard, you know?”

“There are wounds in you that are still as fresh as the day you received them,” Zenyatta’s head cocked slightly as he spoke. “But this is not a weight you have to carry alone,”

Lucio looked down at his feet, rolling his shoulders slightly. Eventually he nodded his head in understanding.

“And I will not tell you what you have heard before,” Zenyatta assured with a small laugh, patting his shoulder. “But I will advise that perhaps this is an opportunity for healing,”

“What… Do you mean?” Lucio cocked a brow, looking back up to the monk.

“Satya is here, and she is confused as well. You both have been direct victims of Vishkar, though from different sides of the playing field. When you are ready, if you want to… Try and talk with her. Perhaps both of you can get some closure,”

Lucio cocked a brow in doubt, but no words seemed to come to mind for something to say in return. Zenyatta tilted his head forward, patting his hand on Lucio’s shoulder again before releasing him, bringing it back to its side.

“Is there anything else troubling you, my musical friend?” Zenyatta inquired. Lucio stiffened, scratching the back of his head and looking away.

“No… Nothing else is wrong,” Lucio lied. Zenyatta hummed in contemplation.

“Lucio. A storm needs two strong forces before it begins to thrash and spew,” Zenyatta raised his hands, two orbs came to float above his palms. One glowed with that sickening purple glow, the other the healing gold one. “Hot, and cold,” He chuckled, looking back out toward the glittering sea, the orbs returning around his neck. “I have seen your hot, but what of your cold?”

Lucio opened his mouth, but nothing seemed correct to say. He turned away slightly, gritting his teeth.

“I… Think I messed up a friendship,” Lucio finally replied after a long minute. Zenyatta glanced at him again.

“Ah, that can hurt more than any bullet. Would you like to talk about it?” Zenyatta offered. Lucio blushed, scratching his neck again.

“Nah… I think I would rather go to bed. It’s been a long day, you know?”

Zenyatta considered him for a moment before nodding, folding his hands behind his back.

“Well, I cannot hold you where you wish not to be,” All of his orbs chimed and glowed yellow, he could only assume that it was an indication of happiness, “Go ahead, I will not keep you waiting,”

Zenyatta walked past him, humming slightly to himself. Lucio turned so he watched him go, the Monk seeming perfectly content with himself.

“May your dreams bring you answers, my friend.”

~ 

Gentle wind pushed past the white curtains into the infirmary, providing the smell of fresh air and comfort to those who breathed in the breeze and felt it pass over their skin. The harsh medical lights had been turned off for the night, the only light coming from the silver moon high in the sky. The moonlight cast over the fresh white sheets of multiple empty medical beds, almost appearing to make them glow. It was a beat-less moment – as if time itself respected the stillness of the moment and left the med bay frozen. Quiet music played from a radio somewhere within, the music dancing with the wind in a quiet song that moved through with no rush. Nowhere to be, nothing to worry about. It was an existence that Hanzo was jealous of.

Hanzo sat in the hospital chair next to Genji, who was sound asleep again. He sighed, sitting completely still. He glanced up at Genji, still remaining unmoving. At least his breaths were deeper now. After they had started the healing process Genji breathed as if his throat and lungs were full of cotton. If he was not strong enough, it would have killed him. If Hanzo had not believed in his abilities and self-control, he could have destroyed him again…

He yawned, raising his hand to rub his tired eyes. He had barely gotten any sleep since he arrived. He couldn’t. He tried to sleep in his room, but it felt foreign and cold to him. Plus, with the screaming and shouting in the evening, it did not help with his already tense state and difficulty to fall asleep.

He looked back to Genji. Even now, it still felt surreal. Genji had been… _Alive_ , this _whole_ time. He had become so mad with him, so shocked. How could he have just… not tell him sooner? He had struggled, he had cried and sobbed, he had _left_ his clan from the guilt. He didn’t want to do it, he never wanted to do it. But he knew the Clan. It was either Genji, or both of them.

He would rather Genji die by his hand than his elders. But it still hurt so much.

When he found out, he was not ready for the forgiveness his brother offered. He is still not even sure he forgives himself yet. But… He was still glad…

He sighed, looking down at his hands.

“I do not know if you will ever know the deep pain I have felt through the years…”

His voice echoed slightly before the room returned to silence. He knew that Genji would not answer, he was asleep. They were alone in the medbay, besides its newest tenant. The Antarctic team had retrieved a scientist, a Chinese woman named Mei. Hanzo turned quietly to look at the far bed where she lay, her silent heart monitor showing her steady heartbeat. She was going to be okay, they had said multiple times when the group rushed in, breaking the tranquility earlier that evening. Hanzo remained next to Genji the entire time, watching from across the room. McCree had approached them, asking how Genji was doing. Genji was able to answer for himself, a rare moment of being awake. His voice was rough like sandpaper, but it would be alright.

Everything was going to be alright.

Hanzo stood silently, gazing across Genji’s sleeping form. He needed to get himself some sleep. And though he did not want to admit it, the cowboy’s tour of the Watchpoint did help him gauge where he was better. He rested a hand on Genji’s chrome shoulder. He was still getting used to the idea that he was now not… _Quite_ human anymore.

He felt the ribbon holding his hair up brush his exposed shoulder. He looked down at it, touching it with the tips of this fingers. He remained still for a second, raising his hands up and untying it from his hair, letting the strip of silk fall into his hands and his hair tousling down to his shoulders. He brought the ribbon in front of him, rubbing it between the pads of his thumb and index.

Slowly he placed it on the table next to Genji’s bed, resting it next to the pill bottles and the single vase with a vase of fresh wild flowers before making his way toward the door.

Winston had offered him a place amongst their ranks shortly after he arrived. He had been so tired and dazed that he brushed off the question and told him he would consider it just to get the ape to leave him alone. But right now… It did not sound like such a bad idea possibly. He took a deep breath of the cool sea air of the night as he walked.

Change was coming soon. But perhaps first it was time for a haircut.

~

A blood curdling scream rang through the hallway. Hanzo jerked up out of his bed, cursing aloud.

“Can I not have a single night?” He swung his feet over the side of his bed, mumbling curses under his breath as he yanked a sweatshirt over his head. He stormed out of the door, the screaming continuing. What the hell was wrong with these soldiers? This was only his second night sleeping in this hall and both times screaming as if they were being murdered

_Maybe if he was lucky, they **were** being murdered, and the screaming would stop. Ah, No… That thought is awful... Heh... _

The further he went, the louder it got, and the clearer it became, and the more it seemed to be coming from someone else than the first night.

When he turned the corner he saw that the towering German was standing outside the door, ear pressed to the door. Hanzo stomped over, crossing his arms once he stopped.

“ _What_ is _happening **now?**_ ” He hissed. Reinhardt jumped, stepping away and staring down at him.

“Mr. Shimada!” Reinhardt almost shouted, rubbing his hands down across his face. “You startled me,”

“Well, I was startled from the sudden _fucking screaming,_ ” He angrily gestured to the door, another long yell came from behind the door. Reinhardt squeezed his hands together, shifting on his feet.

“W-well, I…” He started, Hanzo glared up at him harshly.

“I. Can’t. Sleep,” He barked. “I haven’t slept in two days. Make him _stop,_ for the love of God,”

Reinhardt stared down at him, looking absolutely conflicted. He turned to the door.

“I apologize…” He mumbled under his breath as he turned the door knob, slipping inside and shutting the door behind him. Hanzo sighed, rubbing his temples as he turned around and left the yelling and screaming behind. _I’m sure that Reinhardt guy could help. The two of them appear to be on very good terms._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did y'all know that in Japan in theater if a character cut their hair it signaled some kind of dramatic, life-altering change. 
> 
> Welp.
> 
> Anyway, thank's for reading! Kudos is appreciated, comments keep me going. Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below.


	17. Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reinhardt comes to Lucio's side again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO guess who is procrastinating lol
> 
> I mean really. I wrote a paper today, I edited a video. I worked hard! And I only really write at night, but I guess it is still procrastinating. I could be reading one of the two full length novels I have to read, or work on a project. But nope, instead I have been hit with a wave of no motivation and semi-depression and kinda funneled my sad emotions into this. So, uh. Enjoy.
> 
> edit - The song Reinhardt sings in this chapter is "Honeybee" by Steam Powered Giraffe

Reinhardt swore his heartbeats echoed just as clearly as his feet did as they entered the dark bedroom. Just like the last time, Lucio struggled under his bed sheets, tossing and turning like a writhing snake. The young man under the covers was panting and sweating bullets, struggling with the sheet as if it was strangling him. Reinhardt wanted to rush forward, cradle the man in his arms and plant healing kisses on his skin, and relieve him of his nightmares. Instead, his feet felt like they were rooted into the floor, a chill dancing up and down his back as if mocking his meekness.

Another scream rang out from the musician’s throat, surely it was burning in pain from so much yelling. Reinhardt stepped forward, kneeling next to the bed. He reached out his hand to touch his shoulder, right before touching retracting his fingers away. The man was not yelling in fear, he was crying in sorrow in his sleep.

“Please… Please… I’m sorry…” Lucio cried, tears streaking down his cheeks, Reinhardt could see in the low light that his eyes and cheeks were dusted red. His hands gripped the bed sheet tight, hands trembling.

“Lucio…” Reinhardt called to him softly, shifting closer to the DJ’s head. Lucio whimpered, tossing his head back and forth.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Lucio continued to cry, voice riddled with hiccups. Reinhardt bit his lip, looking away. Another strangled cry, Reinhardt squeezed his eyes together tight.

“ _Lucio… Bitte, verzeih mir,_ ” Reinhardt whispered under his breath before standing.

He scooped Lucio up easily into his arms before sitting down on the bed, gentle with all of his movements as not to disturb him out of sleep. The younger man did not struggle, hands continuing to cling to his bed sheet. Lucio sighed into the warm contact, his muscles somewhat relaxing into the touch. Reinhardt hugged him loosely, resting his head into the crook of Lucio’s neck. His hand came to the small of Lucio’s back, rubbing gentle circles. His other hand held behind Lucio’s neck, stabilizing his head. Lucio’s loud cries turned to whimpers, his shaking to trembles, his breaths deeper and deeper. Lucio tucked his head into Reinhardt, his hands eventually coming to grip the larger man’s shirt instead. Reinhardt could feel the dampness of Lucio’s clothing from sweat, so he slowly untangled the smaller man from his bed sheet. In the few moments that they lost contact Lucio whined.

“I am here, Lucio, I did not leave you,” Reinhardt assured in a soft tone, almost like a purr as he pulled Lucio back into his lap, cradling him against his broad chest again.

They remained like that for a long time, Lucio continuing to quietly sob, holding onto Reinhardt like a life line. He continued to apologize in his sleep, every time a word was uttered past his lips his tears welled up again. Reinhardt rubbed soothing circled into his back, trying to calm his anxiety. But the words continued to roll off of his tongue. Pleading apologies to whoever was in his dream with him. But Reinhardt had a feeling he knew what Lucio was dreaming off, and his thoughts were only confirmed when he started to mumble Reinhardt’s name.

“Reinhardt… M’sorry…”

His name came through the broken-record speech of pleas and apologies. Reinhardt blinked, unsure that he heard correctly. But Lucio’s grip loosened, hiccups bubbling up again.

“R-r-rein… I-I-I di-di-didn’t-t-t…” Lucio stuttered thorough hiccups and ragged breaths, tears starting to well up again and streak down his cheeks. Reinhardt adjusted Lucio on his lap, bringing a hand to his face to wipe his tears away.

“Lucio…” Reinhardt could feel his own cheeks become hot. Had he caused this? The thought made his stomach twist in a sickening way. He did not want to see him cry. He loved his bubbly laugh, his smile, jokes, random singing and dancing and beatboxing. His ability to make any situation turn on a dime to happy.

Reinhardt leaned down, placing his lips on Lucio’s forehead. That was innocent enough, right? He held his lips there for a moment before pulling away. Lucio. A sweet angel, a determined fighter, a believer, a youthful heart with so much love to give…

_He did not deserve him._

Tears prickled in his own eyes as Lucio squirmed slightly. Reinhardt wiped his eyes as Lucio lifted his head, shuddered breaths shaking past his lips. Reinhardt hugged him a little closer, he was still trembling in his arms. The Crusader started to hum to and bring some peace to him.

“ _You didn't have to look my way, your eyes still haunt me to this day… But you did. Yes, you did…._ ”

Lucio’s breath started to relax as he listened to the soft song. Reinhardt was not the best singer, but he could hold a note. He continued, a hand coming to wipe Lucio’s eyes again.

“ _You didn't have to say my name, ignite my circuits and start a flame… But you did,_ ”

Lucio’s eyes started to peak open, still half unconscious, unsure if he was really dreaming or not still. He sniffled, coughing. His throat felt like it was extremely raw and his vision was blurry. Reinhardt watched him carefully, continuing his soft serenade, singing slower than the song was originally written.

“ _Oh, Turpentine erase me whole… Cause I, I don't want to live my life alone… Well I, I was waiting for you all my life…_ ”

His thumb caressed the younger man’s chin as he sang the last line. Lucio blinked more surely, hands uncurling from the larger man’s shirt to wipe his eyes. He froze, realizing that he was being held, and being sang to as well. He pushed away slightly, eyes adjusting to the darkness.

“R-Reinhardt?” Lucio croaked, hands retracting into his chest. Reinhardt gazed down to him, sighing.

“Hello, Lucio…” He replied softly, voice apologetic. His hold on Lucio loosened, bringing his hands away and resting them to his sides.

Lucio opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came, only more rugged coughs. Reinhardt reached out, hands moving up to touch his arm but Lucio flinched away. Reinhardt’s eyebrows knit together. His heart ached. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know how. He was already treading dangerous waters.

“Lucio, I’m sorry to… I didn’t mean to…” Reinhardt sighed, hand coming to rub his forehead. “You were having a nightmare, and I could hear you screaming. I… Wanted to make sure you were okay,”

Lucio stared up at him for a moment before glancing away, biting his lip. He stared down into his lap, taking a deep breath.

“Do you want me to leave you?”  Reinhardt asked. Lucio looked up quickly, shaking his head.

“No!” Lucio croaked, coughing again. Reinhardt looked down at him with concern. Lucio coughed again, looking up more confidently.

“No. Please… Stay,” His voice was much stronger. Reinhardt nodded his head after a moment.

“Do you need water or… Something?” Reinhardt leaned down a little closer, Lucio shook his head in decline.

“I’m fine,” He insisted. Reinhardt raised a brow.

“You must understand from my position… You do not seem fine,”

Lucio’s lip quivered slightly, looking away again. They remained still for a long moment, Lucio finally sighing.

“Reinhardt, I… I am _so_ sorry for what I… Did…” Lucio breathed out. Reinhardt’s heart skipped a beat, but Lucio’s was racing by like a horse in the Kentucky Derby.

“Lucio,” Reinhardt tried to smile, but Lucio grit his teeth, hands fisting in his lap. He stared up at Reinhardt, quieting any words that he was going to say.

“What I did was wrong, and inappropriate, a-and I took advantage of y-you and our friendship…” Lucio’s face burned from embarrassment. Reinhardt’s own cheeks he could feel he was blushing.

“I-I guess what I want to g-get as is… Is…” Lucio wiped his eye again, teeth grit again in frustration. “I understand if you are upset with me. And… Don’t want anything to do with me anymore,”

Silence, dead silence. Lucio could feel large tears swell in his eyes with each passing second…

The boisterous laugh caught Lucio off guard, causing him to jump in shock. Reinhardt crushed him against his chest in a tight hug, the man continuing to laugh.

“Lucio!” The German cried, squeezing him a little tighter. “I’m not… _God_ , I’m not mad at you! How could I be?”

Reinhardt released him, instead squeezing his shoulders. Lucio stared at him with wide eyes, blinking in confusion.

“W-wha, _really??_ ” Lucio could not hold back the relief in his voice. His hands shook as he reached out to touch his biceps.

“Of course I am not mad! Your kiss _… Mein gott_ , Lucio, you are sweet, but blind,” Reinhardt chuckled as he leaned forward, touching his forehead to the smaller mans. Lucio blushed, but did not pull away.

They remained still, both seeming to sigh in relief, but unsure what to say. Lucio shifted to rest his head against Reinhardt, nestling his head into the crook of Reinhart’s neck. Reinhardt drew his arms around him, rubbing his hand gently up and down his spine.

“Relax yourself, and just… Listen, for a moment…” Reinhardt purred out. Lucio could feel Reinhardt’s voice reverberate through his broad chest into his own like a low drum. He nodded his head, letting him know he was listening.

“Lucio… Do you like me romantically?” Reinhardt asked. He had a feeling he didn’t really need to, but he needed to know for sure.

“I… Yeah,” Lucio snuggled closer into Reinhardt, curling up in embarrassment. “No use hiding it now, huh?” Reinhardt let out a sigh in relief, chuckling.

“No, no use hiding,” He echoed, smiling to himself. He thought to himself for a moment before sighing, glancing down to Lucio.

“Lucio, I… Would lie if I said I did not feel the same, but…” Reinhardt paused, hand stopping. Lucio raised his head, looking up at Reinhardt with questioning, unsure eyes.

“But what?”

“Well… you would have to be blind to not see there are a few problems here…” Reinhardt finally uttered, but the two did not break their eye contact. Lucio could see the tears begin to form in Reinhardt’s eyes. He was so close, he couldn’t lose him now. Lucio lifted his hands to wipe the others tears this time, smiling warmly.

“Reinhardt… That does not change how I feel. I promise… The reasons you may be thinking have crossed my mind, too” He drew his face a little closer, Reinhardt could feel Lucio’s breath against his skin. A small hand came to caress his bearded chin, “But I realized… The team, the media, the questions, concerns... It does not bother me. I’m willing to work through it, if you are too,”

Reinhardt could not hold his awkwardly relieved chuckle from bubbling up. Lucio cocked a brow.

“W-what is so funny?” He questioned, fear peaking up in his voice. Reinhardt wiped a tear quickly with his thumb from escaping his eye through his chuckle.

“I didn’t even think of that… I only thought of the age,” He flushed dark, this time it was Lucio’s turn to giggle, his hand smoothing down and running his fingers through the soft hair on the back of Reinhardt’s head.

“If it means anything, that does not bother me either,” He cooed before finally resting his head back onto Reinhardt’s shoulder. The crusader let out a large sigh, slowly lowering himself to recline on the bed with a long groan. Lucio squeezed his arms around Reinhardt’s neck in surprise before relaxing into place once they were fully down. Reinhardt brought a hand to Lucio’s back. Gentle, but firm. It made Lucio feel safe.

“Well, what happens now, then?” Reinhardt questioned.

“Well… I guess… We’re partners now… Right?” Lucio piped up. He could feel the chuckle vibrate through them before he heard it deep in Reinhardt’s chest.

“If you would have me,” Reinhardt rumbled low. “I will be honest, I has been quite a time since I last… Had something like this,” Lucio could not help but smile as he quickly lifted up, dragging himself up to Reinhardt’s face.

“Can I kiss you?” Lucio asked eagerly, even in the dark he could see that Reinhardt’s eyes were positively shining. He lazily hugged Lucio close, almost squeezing the air out of his lungs. That was Lucio, _his Lucio_. Able to bounce back to happy so quickly.

_His Lucio. **His.** _

“It would be an honor,”

 

Outside, clouds began to pass over again. The softest rumbles of thunder broke the silence of the night as the two shared their first real kiss. Kisses like the rain drops and warm souls glowing together.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, they are finally together! This slow burn has finally yielded a flame! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I love each and every one of you and I hope you all are having a lovely week!
> 
> Kudos is appreciated, Comments inspire me to keep writing and keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below. Or! You can contact me even faster!
> 
> Tumblr: Letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba
> 
> Anyway, Cheers! <3


	18. Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO guess who is just like... On a roll of writing INSTEAD of, you know.... Doing my homework. Ha. Haha. HAHAHaA
> 
> ANyway guys I was reading this book for class called "Ceremony" and it writes PTSD like really well and it inspired me to write the beginning of this chapter. It is a pretty rad book about a Native American man named Tayo who just got out of the war and is feeling conflicted because he is only half Native American and it is cool you should read it if you can!
> 
> ALSO. GUYS. 300 KUDOS. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH THANK YOU <3
> 
> ANYWAY. Enjoy!

_Loud. Too loud, dulling all of his senses as he moved forward. The ringing of mini-guns still in his ears, in his mind. This was the worst part, assessing the dead. He glanced behind himself to the few others who remained. Their numbers smaller every day. He turned back around, running a hand through his short, blond hair. Force of habit. They had made him cut it recently, even though he had kept very good care of it. But it was more than just hair, though. It was his last connection to life before military. Life before war._

_He continued on into the field, boots squishing into the soil under him. Even through it all, this land was so fertile. Perhaps someday nature would overtake the land again, filling the area with trees and foliage yet again. The most beautiful graveyard._

_He approached a body, a young woman. Hair black and shiny like a ravens feathers. Balderich, his commander, his **King** , approached behind him. He gazed at Reinhardt for a moment before resting a hand on his shoulder._

_“Turn her over, Lieutenant,” He commanded. Reinhardt grit his teeth._

_“But sir, this woman has an enemy uniform.” His vision fuzzed as he continued to stare at the woman. Balderich’s grip tightened, Reinhardt glanced away, a sick feeling turning over his stomach. Balderich glared at him, stepping forward and toeing the woman over with his foot._

_It was like gazing at the most horrifyingly beautiful sight. She looked like she was sleeping, but the blood had soaked through her uniform completely. Her face was still, he swore he could reach out and touch her cheek to wake her. Promise her that it would be okay, the battle was over, you can return to your loved ones now._

_As he stared longer, the woman’s face turned into Ana Amari’s. Features sharpening, the tattoo upon her eye fading into existence. Her uniform turning from the enemies to… Hers. Into her Overwatch second in command coat. But it was soiled with her dark red blood, soaking and spreading through the cloth further on her torso. Reinhardt jerked away, a scream ringing out of his throat. It was not an enemy, it was his friend! **It was his friend!**_

_The scene shifted, his scream echoing through to the next one. He was seated in a stiff chair in a therapist’s office, hands folded in his lap. He had squeezed himself into dress pants and a long sleeve dress shirt, restricting his movement a bit and making him feel tight and uncomfortable. A twisting, sick feeling was in the pit of his stomach. The doctor scratched notes onto his clip board. Reinhardt was older now, hair turning grey. Bubbling in his stomach was medicine that he had been given earlier that day to help with his… Condition._

_“You are going home soon, are you not?” The therapist questioned, looking up without moving his head._

_Reinhardt stared down at his lap, fingers twiddling slightly. “Yes sir,”_

_“Are you still experiencing flashes? Seeing things that aren’t… There?”_

_Reinhardt looked away. He couldn’t look at him. The sick feeling felt as if it was rising up from his stomach into his throat._

_The Therapist stared at him a long moment, waiting for a response before looking back down, scratching more notes onto his paper._

_“How are you feeling, Reinhardt?”_

_“Like I am going to be… Sick, or cry,” Reinhardt answered immediately, not even looking up from where he glared at the ground._

_“Go ahead, Reinhardt. You can cry,”_

_A yell was caught in his throat, but when he opened his lips he felt the salty tears stream past his lips onto his tongue. His shoulders shook, tensing up as he balled his fists tightly. He wanted to punch this man in the mouth, he couldn’t understand what he had seen, what he had felt. What he had done to others. The robots, it was easier to disassociate in the past. But the humans…_

_He stood up quickly, trying desperately to get to the garbage can in the corner but falling short, sinking to his knees and vomiting up the medicine that had been mixing inside of him through the morning all over the floor. He groaned in pain, throat burning from the stomach acid and mouth feeling sticky and sour as he continued to empty his stomach onto the tile floor. The doctor remained still, staring with those disturbingly still, un-moving eyes, pen continuing to scratch on the paper._

He blinked awake, taking a moment to remember where he was. He was in Lucio’s room, the man in question nestled under his arm next to him. They were sharing the tiny cot, but they fit fairly well. Lucio taking barely any space in comparison to Reinhardt. He sighed, taking his free hand and wiping his face, lazily smacking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He tasted like morning breath, which made him cringe slightly.

He rested his head back into the pillow, squeezing Lucio just the smallest bit, as if testing that he was really there. Yes, he was not dreaming this part. This was really happening. They had really kissed last night, and decided to be officially together. Lucio had actually told him how he felt, and Reinhardt had as well. He had actually spent the evening in Lucio’s bed, the young musician convincing him to stay in case he had another nightmare. Reinhardt promised he would stay, and he had a feeling Lucio loved the warmth and comfort Reinhardt’s presence alone provided. But Reinhardt had to admit, feeling someone sleep next to him, the share of even the simplest form of physical contact… It was amazing to share with someone again. They didn’t do much other than kiss, Lucio had drifted to sleep shortly after.

He reflected on his dream. Well, more memory than dream. He sighed slightly, regarding the image of Ana he had seen. He had to remember it was only that; A dream. An artificial image his mind had fabricated. Her body had never been found in battle, he had never seen her corpse. Reinhardt had long since moved on from that now, accepting the small comfort of never having to see his dear friend in that state. He rested his head deeper into the cushiony pillow, allowing the sleepy warmth from the room to wash over him again slowly as he closed his eyes. As he drifted to sleep Lucio curled closer, Reinhardt humming contently.

~

  
“You want to do _what_?”

McCree stood leaned over one of the communal bathroom sinks, electric razor in hand and shaving cream all over his neck. Hanzo stood a few feet away near the door, eyes as steely as ever.

“I want to cut my hair, and I do not have a way of doing so. Will you let me borrow your razor or not?”

McCree considered him for a moment before chuckling aloud, turning back to the mirror and bringing the razor to his neck.

“Hold on a sec, darlin’. I’m a bit in the middle of something at the moment, if ya hadn’t noticed,”

Hanzo seemed to for the first time realize that there was shaving cream on his neck, stiffening up and shifting uncomfortably on his feet before stepping outside the bathroom to wait. McCree watched in the mirror as he went, smiling to himself.

A few minutes later McCree was stepping out of the communal bathroom with a towel over his neck, his beard dripping slightly from water. Hanzo was seated outside the door, standing quickly when the door opened.

“So, ya want a trim?” McCree questioned, holding the razor in one hand while in the other he adjusted the towel on his neck, “You don’t have much facial hair, but I think it looks good on you. Why would you want to shave it off?”

“No, I want a _haircut_ ,” Hanzo corrected, eyes narrowing. McCree whistled.

“You want to shave your head?” McCree arched an eyebrow. Hanzo nodded his head, but McCree still didn’t seem pleased with the answer.

“Have you ever shaved your head before?” McCree questioned. Hanzo glanced away, expression still steely.

“I am sure I can figure it out,”

At that, McCree laughed. Hanzo glared at him, trying to grab the electric razor out of his hand but the cowboy was quick, pulling it away.

“Let me help you out, Shimada. I’ve done a few haircuts in my time. Besides, this razor is a little temperamental,”

Curse that southern hospitality and grin as warm and smooth as honey and irritatingly handsome face. Hanzo narrowed his eyes at him before finally huffing.

“If your clumsy fingers cut me, I will not hesitate to shoot you through when the opportunity arises,” Hanzo hissed. McCree gasped, pretending to be hurt.

“Clumsy? Well, I am hurt!” He turned away, crossing his arms over his chest. “I suppose you can find someone else if you are so opposed to it!” He turned his head, shooting him a wink and a wicked grin. Hanzo felt fear rise in his stomach for a moment. He didn’t know anyone else on the Watchpoint, McCree had him cornered. Finally Hanzo rolled his eyes, sighing before returning his gaze.

“Fine,”

McCree smile became warmer, motioning for Hanzo to follow him. McCree lead him through the watch point to the East wing, this hall appearing much more occupied than the one Hanzo had been placed in. Most of the doors they past had name plates, even spotting Genji’s door as they continued on. They finally arrived at a door with the nameplate “JESSE McCREE”, the gunslinger opening the door and propping it open. He stepped aside, motioning to Hanzo to go inside first.

“After you, darlin’” He drawled. Hanzo grit his teeth, glaring as he entered.

“Stop calling me “Darlin’”, you _Yankee,_ ” Hanzo growled. McCree looked the archer up and down.

“I’ll stop if you stop calling me _Yankee,_ ” McCree shot back, following him inside. The door remained open, which Hanzo appreciated more than he thought he would. McCree pulled out a chair, tapping the back for Hanzo to sit. Hanzo glanced from the chair to McCree before sitting gingerly.

McCree walked away for a moment, returning with his crimson serape, draping it over Hanzo’s shoulders. Hanzo could smell McCree’s scent as soon as it was on him. Gunpowder, cigar tobacco, leather, and maybe a hint of cinnamon as well. He did not want to admit, but it was pleasant. McCree stepped away, fiddling with the razor.

“So, what did you have in mind, Darl- _Hanzo_ ,” McCree corrected himself, apologizing as he smoothed the serape around Hanzo’s shoulders.

Hanzo thought for a moment, eyes gazing around the room as he thought. To his surprise the gunslinger kept his room fairly tidy. His bed was made, his drawers all shut. The smell of smoke was ingrained into the room though.

“A side shave,” Hanzo finally declared, turning to look at McCree. He nodded his head, smiling, as he came around. He bent over slightly in front of Hanzo, touching the man’s face gingerly as he turned it different angles. Hanzo fought the urge to flinch away from his touch, but the man’s rough hands were truly no testament to how gentle he was.

“Yeah… Yeah, I think that would look pretty good on you,” McCree smiled. “Lil’ shave on both sides, leave some on top to tie back. A nice way to dip the toes in the water,” He released Hanzo’s face after another moment of inspecting his features, plucking the razor back up before coming up behind the archer.

“Ready?”

Hanzo nodded his head, closing his eyes as the razor started to buzz. McCree pulled away the gold hair ribbon, his long hair falling over his shoulders.

Hanzo stayed still as McCree continued to shave away at his hair. In the middle of going, he stepped away to grab a pair of scissors and a few hair clips from Lena, who leaned against the doorway to watch as McCree worked Hanzo’s hair..

“So, what made you decide to cut your hair, Hanzo?” Lena asked cheerfully, sipping from a bottle of water. Hanzo glanced downward, trying hard to keep still as McCree continued to pull his hair up and out of the way.

“I thought it was time for a change,” He simply put. Lena was a little too friendly and curious for him. Lena smiled, stepping away from the door.

“Well, do you want me to tell Genji? I hear he is walking around today,” Lena offered. Both Hanzo and McCree looked up quickly with surprise eyes.

“He is?” Hanzo questioned. Lena nodded her head.

“Yeah! Stopped by this morning, Angela said his vital signs are great!” Lena smiled brightly. “I can zip over there real quick and tell him what’s up?”

Hanzo thought for a few seconds, watching as long locks of hair were snipped from his head and fell across the crimson fabric to the floor. Finally he gave a short nod, lips curling up with the faintest of smiles as Lena blinked away, her giggle ringing further and further away down the hallway.

~

Satya sat silently in Winston’s workshop, holding back the urge to go around and move everything into a proper place. She had no doubt that Winston was a genius, he was notorious in many fields of science and engineering across the world for his discoveries, not even counting the fact that he is the only successful product of the Horizon Lunar Colony. But for _God sake_ … His work space was _atrocious._ Tools left out everywhere, papers and blueprints in no logical order. Every scientist has their own way of organizing, but to Satya it looked like his form of organization was the lack of it. She didn’t even want to mention how many empty peanut butter jars and lids were laying amongst the open circuitry units and test tubes. But Satya’s thoughts were brought back by the sound of the sliding door opening.

“Welcome back, Winston,” A woman’s voice resonated through the space. Athena, the program was called, as it was explained to Satya she controlled most of the online facilities throughout the Watchpoint. Winston nodded upwardly; to Athena, she assumed, as he didn’t say anything and continued walking in. In one hand he held a laptop, setting it down on the table Satya was waiting near.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Satya,” He smiled nervously, sitting down next to the table, facing her. “So, what do you think of the Watchpoint so far?”

 Satya smoothed down her dress, sighing.

“Your Watchpoint is severely outdated in both technology and supplies. In short, I expected... _More,_ ” She said honestly, picking fuzz off of herself. Winston sighed, pushing his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose.

“I am well aware of our technological disadvantages, Satya. But you must understand that we issued the recall only a few months ago, and this base has been inactive for 7 years…” Winston explained. “With the addition of you, as well as the scientist we saved in Antarctica, working together with our engineer and myself I hope that we can upgrade the Watchpoint as we continue forward,”

Satya nodded her head in understanding, relaxing slightly. “I hope this team meets the rest of my expectations, then,”

Winston offered a smile, leaning back slightly.

“So, I went over most of the files you transmitted to me. This is a lot of useful information that you have provided for us, Satya,”

“So will we be making a move to Egypt soon?” Satya questioned. Winston gave a short nod.

“That is something that I believe we should do, but it will take some time before we can go there,” Winston explained, picking up a small trinket from the table and fiddling with it with his extremely large fingers with surprising care with the fine, delicate parts.

“Your presence here will have to be kept on the down low for now. We do not want Vishkar to know that you have betrayed them or have them frame us for kidnaping you. We also want to start integrating your skills and resources into our training program with the rest of the team. But, before anything,” Winston set down the trinket, it now projecting a small bubble barrier. He gave it a pleased smile before looking back to Satya. “I need to make a few calls. We do have one connection in Egypt who can possibly get us in. But…”

“But?” Satya questioned, eyes focused on the small bubble shield.

“ _But…_ We have not contacted her in a long time. She also didn’t respond to the recall of Overwatch, and I am not sure if she will assist us. She is fairly busy with her own organization in Egypt,”

“Well, if you need any assistance… planning or _organizing_ , I am willing to assist,” Satya gazed over the work space quickly before returning to look to Winston, standing up quickly. The scientist gave a small nervous chuckle, blushing slightly.

“Your offer is appreciated, Satya. I have a feeling you are a great addition to our team,” He stood with her, walking with her toward the door.

“I am not sure if all of the members currenly share that mentality,” Satya confessed quietly, turning slowly to look at Winston again. Winston looked down at her, sighing.

“Give it time, Satya… Most of us are just not used to being back yet, and not used to having to work with people with… different mindsets than their own,” Winston explained.

“Well, It will also take me some time to myself to adjust as well,” Satya informed, folding her hands behind her back. “But for now, I think I will familiarize myself with more of your facilities. Good day, Winston,”

With that last statement Satya turned away and walked out the sliding door to the outside, the clicks of her heels growing more distant until she was out of sight. Winston watched her go, considering her as she walked away, eventually turning around back into his laboratory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOO ALRIGHT thanks for reading!   
> Kudos is appreciated, comments keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below! 
> 
> Or contact me here!  
> Tumblr: letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	19. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more set-up... Plans for the next mission are discussed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha sorry for being so slow. This is another set up chapter for what is coming next. Because ya know... this stuff does not happen overnight n'shit. 
> 
> Anyway. Here. Take it. Enjoy.

“Let’s go over this one more time, so we are on the same page,”

Reinhardt and Lucio sat facing each other on the edge of the bed. Lucio was attaching his prosthetics to his knees, gazing up at Reinhardt.

“We keep this relationship private from the team…” Lucio started.

“Not only because of the team-” Reinhardt continued.

“-But also the media does not need to know. Not yet,” Lucio finished. Both nodded in understanding smiling shortly to each other.

“Right,” Reinhardt patted a hand on Lucio’s knee, his _partner’s_ knee. Lucio’s cheeks dusted pink as he stood up, quickly pecking a kiss on Reinhardt’s lips. Reinhardt hummed contently, leaning back down on the bed as he watched Lucio step away to his dresser, shuffling through his shirts. It felt good, it felt so good to finally just… _Be._

“Do you wanna do some more yoga today?” Lucio asked over his shoulder, smiling brightly. Reinhardt hummed in contemplation, raising himself form the bed. It only took him one large step to reach Lucio, hands tracing over the smaller man’s shoulders. Lucio leaned back, craning his head up to look at Reinhardt.

“I would be delighted to, _Sch_ _ätzchen_ ,” He hummed, Lucio cocked his head a bit.

“ _Schätzchen?_ ” Lucio questioned. Reinhardt chuckled, giving a reassuring squeeze to his shoulders as he placed a wet kiss on his forehead.

“ _My little treasure_ ,” He cooed. “If that is okay with you,” Lucio blushed again, laughing as he nodded his head yes.

“W-Well, go get changed then!”

Reinhardt smiled, patting Lucio’s shoulder one more time before moving toward the door. He glanced back to Lucio, unknown to him a wide smile came to his face before he opened the door, stepping out.

“Eep!” A voice squealed behind the door as it bumped into something – er – _someone._ Reinhardt jumped, stepping out quickly to see a woman sprawled on the floor, hand on her head as she moaned in shocked pain. Around her were a few papers and a bag that she seemed to have dropped.

“O-Oh!” Reinhardt rushed forward, kneeling down next to the girl. She blinked a few times, raising herself to a seated position.

“Oh…” She groaned, looking up, a tear welling in her eye. Lucio popped into the doorway, a look of confusion across his face.

“Ms. Xiao Long?” Reinhardt questioned. The woman looked up, nodding her head.

“Yes, that is me,” She confirmed. Reinhardt offered a hand, she placed her small hand on his quickly. “Sorry, sorry, sorry….”

“ _Was?_ No, _I’m_ terribly sorry, Ms. Xiao Long!” Reinhardt almost shouted, helping the small woman up. “I shouldn’t have swung the door open so forcefully and carelessly!”

She appeared to be doing better than before, color had returned to her cheeks. She wore a thin, light blue jacket that hugged her curvy, slightly chubby frame, light grey sweat pants and dark blue slip on slippers. Her hair was tied up high with an ornate hair pin. She wiped her eye, nodding her head. Lucio stepped out, scooping up the papers across the floor.

“I-its alright,” She flushed pink, taking the papers from Lucio. “And please… Call me Mei,”

 “So, Mei… You are the scientist that they picked up from Antarctica?” Lucio asked, grabbing her bag as well. She nodded quickly, smiling.

“Yes,” She confirmed, adjusting her thick glasses on her face. “I-I’m sorry to have caused such a ruckus! I will try to be more careful now!”

“Nonsense!” Reinhardt shouted cheerfully, patting Mei’s back. She coughed as if the wind was knocked right back out of her. “You have nothing to apologize for, Ms. Mei! But let us put this all behind us,” He glanced down at her, suddenly feeling quite giant in the presence of the two shorter people. “So… You are moving into this floor?”

“Yes!” She confirmed, blushing. “I was coming down to pick a room. Winston told me some of them were already occupied,”

“Correct, but if you pick any others past this in this section of the hall they should be open,” Reinhardt turned Mei gently with a hand on her back, pointing down the hall. “Only one other room is occupied, though I think it is the very furthest door around the corner,” He smiled down at her warmly. Mei nodded her head in understanding, taking her bag from Lucio.

“T-thank you!” She bowed her head slightly, waving as she continued down the hall. Reinhardt rested his hands on his hips as Mei moved further down two doors, gingerly turning a doorknob on one and entered the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click. Reinhardt smiled, turning back to Lucio.

“This hall is filling up with all types of interesting characters again,” He laughed, stepping past Lucio toward his room again. Lucio nodded in agreement.

“Its progress,” He spoke softly to himself, stepping back into his own room.

~

The morning went by quickly. Before anyone knew it everyone was doing training simulations and exercises in the outdoor range. Everyone was sectioned off in groups. Offensive agents fought against each other in the sparring room, Defensive agents went to the shooting range to practice their long-ranged attacks and Tank agents went to the weight room. Angela took the other Support agents to the testing area of various field-technology to work on improving their tech and testing it on simulated environments. Genji stayed by Zenyatta’s side all day, not quite ready to begin training again, but wanting to be able to stretch his legs and move. As Angela put it, Genji was “Sick of being in bed, so Zenyatta helped him up. Before I realized what was happening, Genji was checking himself out of the med bay.” One of Zenyatta’s healing orbs bobbed above him at all times.

The entire time Lucio kept as far away from Satya as possible, sitting on the opposite side of the room as her, focusing on his own leg cages to work on. Every once in a while Angela made rounds, checking on what everyone was working on and seeing if she could offer any assistance. In comparison, she spent the most time with Satya, allowing the ex-Vishkar agent to explain how her technology worked and what she was working on to improve it and integrate it into the Watchpoints day-to-day facilities. Lucio could hear Angela exclaim “Fascinating!” every few minutes, which put him more and more on edge. After the tenth “Fascinating!” he finally stood up, wiped his brow, and stepped out of the testing area. Angela and Satya did not even seem to notice.

He made his way to the weight room, he could hear boisterous laughter coming from Reinhardt echoing through the hallways surrounding the room. He smiled to himself, and for a moment his tenseness went away. He took one step inside the doorway, gazing in. Winston and Reinhardt were the only two inside, Winston was spotting Reinhardt on the bench press, the German steadily raising and lowering the barbell. Winston seemed to have said something funny, as Reinhardt was still laughing. Winston, too, was chuckling slightly.

“Careful, Reinhardt. Don’t want you to drop this,” Winston warned through a smile.

“Bah! This is nothing!” He assured, giving a particularly hard push up in emphasis. Winston cocked a brow.

“This thing weights 1100 kg, I don’t think that is ‘nothing’,”

Reinhardt gave a disregarding huff, continuing on silently. Winston glanced up, blinking twice when he saw Lucio in the doorway.

“Oh, Lucio!” Winston gave a welcoming grin. Reinhardt raised his head to look, letting out a strained huff as he did so. “C-Come in! I didn’t know you were there! How long have you been standing there?”

“Oh, not long. I thought I would take a walk, ya know,” Lucio shrugged his shoulders, stepping in. He approached the bench, Reinhardt still pumping his arms up and down.

“Are you done working with Angela?” Winston questioned.

“Ah… Angela was helping Satya, and I finished up early so…” He glanced away as he answered, eyes coming to rest on Reinhardt’s arms. It was crazy how muscular he was. Winston eyed him curiously.

“I see,” Winston replied, looking down at Reinhardt. He placed his hands on the barbell, giving Reinhardt assistance placing it on the holder. Reinhardt let out a satisfied sigh, sitting up.

“That was a good session!” Reinhardt cheered, taking the towel and water bottle from Winston’s hands, thanking him.

“You are improving, Reinhardt. I know you can bench more than that, but I wanted to be careful still,” Winston said, moving toward the door. “I’m going to go check on Satya and Angela, see if there is anything they need from me,”

“You got it!’ Reinhardt bellowed joyfully as Winston exited the room. When he was gone, Reinhardt relaxed his shoulders, looking to Lucio.

“Why did you really leave, Lucio” He questioned, tone much more serious but still caring. Lucio glanced down. Reinhardt pat the bench, inviting him to sit next to him. Lucio blushed before sitting, sighing out.

“Just… Everyone just seems so _okay_ with Satya being here. She still hasn’t given us a clear answer as to how she even got here, who gave her that information, _why_ …” Lucio groaned, looking down at his feet. Reinhardt only watched him, letting Lucio speak.

“I trust my intuition. Something feels off with Satya being here. I don’t trust her, and until she gives me a solid reason to trust her, it won’t happen!” Lucio explained, looking up at Reinhardt as if requiring a confirmation of his thoughts. Reinhardt chuckled, resting a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.

“I won’t tell you that you are wrong. All of your thoughts are valid, and I will support you,” He leaned down, kissing Lucio’s forehead. “Follow your heart and all that sappy stuff, Lucio,”

Lucio couldn’t hold his smile, leaning gently against him.

“Thanks, Rein’,” Lucio sighed. Reinhardt wrapped an arm around him, squeezing him gently. Reinhardt was radiating warmth from his workout, skin slightly sticky with sweat but Lucio didn’t care.

“Of course, _Schätzchen_ ,”

Lucio could feel his cheeks warm again at the pet name. _Little treasure_. Why was that so goddamn cute?

~

Dinner that night was made by Lena, Jesse and Angela, making chicken and vegetable kabobs with enough seasoning and spice added by Jesse to make everyone’s eyes water just a touch. The smell filled the room and made everyone’s stomachs rumble in anticipation. Also, to everyone’s surprise, everyone was present. Winston sat near where the three were cooking, conversing with them cheerfully. Genji stayed by Hanzo’s side, occasionally ruffling his older brother’s new haircut and sharing private conversation in Japanese. With Genji was Zenyatta still, healing orb floating peacefully above Genji’s head. Mei spoke mostly with Satya, the two enjoying each other’s presence and conversation about each other’s field in science, being new to the Watchpoint, and the comfortable silence that could be shared as well. Torbjörn and Reinhardt drank at the table, Torbjörn’s laugh cackling forth after his third drink, cheeks blushing dark red. Reinhardt’s laugh boomed over as he still sipped from his first drink. Lucio bounced between conversations’ but finally came to rest next to Reinhardt, messing around on his phone while waiting for dinner. Torbjörn eyed Lucio before looking back to Reinhardt, who gave him a short nod. The engineer whistled, taking a deep swig from his bottle.

**LUCIO**

_‘Hey, got any word from your end?’_

Lucio shot the text to Hana, not expecting to get a reply 5 seconds later.

**D.VA**

_‘OMG yes!!!!_

_Earlier I was confirmed! ^w^_

_I’ll be heading to the Watchpoint in a week! :3_

_Maybe I should tell Winston… lol ;3c ’_

Lucio nearly jumped out of his seat, typing quickly into his phone

**LUCIO**

_‘Yooo, that’s awesome!!!_

_I can’t wait to see you!’_

**D.VA**

_‘You still owe me a 1v1 match in Mortal Kombat!_

_> :3 ’_

**LUCIO**

_‘Pshaa, as if I could baet you :P’_

**D.VA**

_‘ *beat_

_;3_

_Ahh, I gotta go. Ttyl!’_

**LUCIO**

_‘Want me to tell Winston?’_

**D.VA**

_‘Nah. I got it!_ _안녕_ _(Annyeong)!!’_

Lucio pocketed his phone, letting out a relieved sigh. He sunk into his seat, smile wide across his face. Reinhardt glanced at him, taking a sip from his beer.

“You look happy,” Reinhardt commented warmly. Lucio looked up at him, eyes positively shining.

“Hana Song, Er… ‘D.VA’, just got approved to join Overwatch,” He smiled, sitting up. “She is one of my best friends, Rein! But we have never met in person!”

“Oh ho!” Reinhardt laughed, setting his bottle down. “That is exciting news! I have heard of this ‘D.VA’ before, but I suppose it is hard to not have heard of her recently…”

“Hah, yeah! With her working on that movie,” Lucio glanced around before leaning forward, cupping his hand to his mouth. Reinhardt leaned down close so Lucio could whisper in his ear.

“Between you and me, Hana said that the movie is not good,”

Reinhardt laughed, hand hitting the table as he did so while Jesse whistled loudly. The room quieted down, Lena and Angela held up plates of food.

“Dinner is served, y’all,” Jesse announced, Hanzo held a snort while Genji smacked his shoulder gently, giggling. Jesse eyed them both before looking back to the collective group. “Gather ‘round, let’s eat!”

The food was delicious, and it was hilarious to watch everyone try to keep their cool through the spicy flavor. Satya and Jesse faired the best with the spice, but eventually Jesse had to take a sip of water. The chatter around the table was loud but happy, everyone conversing with one another like a family. Mission talk was put on hold, it was time to relax while they were eating. Laughter bubbled up and rolled off tongues quicker as drinks flowed down throats and through blood until half the table was in a tipsy, joyful stupor. Even Hanzo shared a drink, pulling out his odd-looking canteen and a two small cups. He and Genji clinked glasses before taking a sip from the liquor. Satya refused drink, but did remain at the table, smiling quietly as she looked around at the rest of the table. When she made eye contact with Lucio, she glanced away quickly. Her cheeks dusting darker and she frowned, eyebrows knitting together, embarrassed.

As the evening went on, and everyone was close to finishing their meal, Winston stood from his spot at the head of the table. A slight hush fell over the table, people turning to watch.

“I’m glad that everyone could make it to dinner tonight!” Winston smiled, the remainder of the table quieting down as he started to speak. People nodded in agreement, some agreeing aloud. Winston sat back down, his fingers linking together on the table.

“I hate to break this happy mood, but a discussion of our next move needs to be held,” He shifted, gazing around the table, others nodding their heads in agreement. “And since we are all here now…”

“Go ahead, Winston!” Lena chirped, leaning back in his seat and raising her glass, smiling brightly. Winston looked at her, grinning.

“Well,” He poked his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. “Reviewing the resources and information that our newest addition, Satya, has kindly provided for us, we have determined the next location where Vishkar plans on building; Egypt. The problem with this is that they plan on sabotaging the President of Egypt in order to build it,”

Satya raised herself up in her seat. “With the addition of a Vishkar city, they will be able to lock up a large part of the economy of the country, thus giving them…” She glanced back to Lucio, the sad look returning to her eyes. “… More control than comfortable,”

Lucio remained silent, but also didn’t glare daggers at her. Satya looked at Lucio a moment more before turning back to the rest of the table.

“Vishkar does not need any more control. Their motive on the surface is good, the desire to make life better for people by rebuilding. But there is corruption within the hierarchy of the company. The trickle-down effect that they promise is not shown in all cities, the project in Rio De Janerio being the largest example,”

“So, what do we do then?” Lucio questioned. “We need to get in Egypt and stop their plans, but how do we do that?” Everyone quickly looked to Lucio before returning their eyes back to Satya and Winston.

“I have contacted a connection we have in Egypt, and she has agreed to help us if it means helping her country,” Lucio glanced around the table as Winston spoke. Angela’s eyes went wide in shock as she listened to Winston. _Was it a hopeful look? A nervous look?_ _I wonder who this connection in Egypt is,_ Lucio thought.

“But in order to get into the country undetected…” Winston gave a funny grin, scratching behind his neck.

“Well, Lucio… How quickly can you schedule a concert in Egypt?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos is appreciated. Comments inspire me and keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know down below!
> 
> Or! Contact me different ways if you want to!  
> Tumblr: Letmeshinebright  
> Twitter: LeoRaTuba


	20. Entourage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hana arrives at the watch point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I named this chapter after the word that gave me the most fucking trouble today.
> 
>  
> 
> And also okay I'm sorry for not posting a chapter in so long. But I got the next few chapters planned out pretty thoroughly. I just... Hit a brick wall. I had no inspiration. But right now I got another creativity kick so I'm riding it as far as I can go.
> 
> "But Bright, where have you been?" You may ask!  
> WELL. SCHOOL ENDED AND STARTED IM TRYING TO FIND A JOB IM IN THE MIDDLE OF TECH WEEK HELL AND I GOT A BOYFRIEND SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER SUCKS.
> 
> Yep.  
> That's a pretty thorough update on my life. 
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway enjoy 
> 
> Note: I'm uploading this on my mobile phone because my laptop is being dumb. If there is anything wrong with formating please let me know!

 

The next week went by achingly slow for Lucio. It was a countdown until Hana arrived, and he just couldn’t seem to wait to see her, wait to wrap his arms around her for their first hug and talk to her face to face. To introduce her to Reinhardt and show her around the Watch Point. To talk to her about music and play games. Most of all, he couldn’t wait to get her face to face opinion about his his stress and his concerns. Every night before going to sleep Reinhardt assured him that the days will go by quickly, but it was just not fast enough for Lucio. His patience was being tested, and with the addition of Satya seeming to be everywhere in the Watchpoint made Lucio even further on edge. They still were not talking, but it seemed as if Satya had stopped avoiding him completely. He saw her at all meals, while walking around, at training. She spent lots of time with Angela and Winston and Torbjörn and Mei, talking and laughing and working the new additions around the Watchpoint, as well as preparing for the mission to Egypt. Lucio felt like his concerns were not being heard. Reinhardt provided a sole source of comfort when he needed it, but they still were a secret and it was hard to not embrace Reinhardt warmly in the middle of the day, in training, at meals, _anything._ The only upside was that Satya was put in the other hall on the opposite side of the Watchpoint with the majority of the older members, so evenings he knew he was safe from her questionable gaze.

Hana would understand him, _believe_ him. Reinhardt already supported him, but having her here would help. He just had to be patient a little while longer.

Two days before she arrived Lucio was called in to meet with Winston about the Egypt mission and his role in the whole ordeal. When he arrived at Winston’s lab it was only the scientist, nobody else. That was a small relief in its own right.

“Winston! Hey man!” Lucio greeted, Winston glancing over his shoulder from the work table he sat at, smiling wide as he entered. He turned in his seat, toothy grin wide.

“Lucio! Come, sit with me,” Winston gestured to the stool next to him. Lucio sat down casually, leaning against the table.

“So, you’re the man with the plan, lemme hear it!!” Lucio smiled, swinging his feet slightly. Winston nodded, looking to a monitor on the wall.

“Athena, send the mission details to Agent Lucio, if you would,” Winston commanded allowed.

“Right away, Winston,” Athena’s calm voice came over the room softly, from Lucio’s watch a screen was projected. Lucio jumped, holding his wrist out.

“Woah,” Lucio quietly whispered under his breath.

“So, have you had confirmation of a concert on your end?” Winston asked. Lucio nodded.

“Yup! Got it set up for next week. Like I said, my people are the best,” Lucio confirmed, a proud smile coming to his face. “My manager complained about how last minute it is, but she made it work,” Winston smiled wide, hands clapping together.

“Excellent! We will be ahead of schedule then,” Winston turned back toward the monitor. “Athena, move the projected schedule early to next week,”

“Right away Winston,” Athena’s calm voice spoke again, a few moments later a new ping came into Lucio’s email. Winston turned back to Lucio, expression a little more serious.

“Now, your roll in the mission. While your concert is going on we will be infiltrating Vishkar. The people will be drawn to the concert and out of potential danger if things go south,”

“What?” Lucio questioned. “But I want to be there! Vishkar is _my_ fight!”

“And your part is crucial, Lucio!” Winston shot back, seeming ready for Lucio to retaliate. “Not only will your entourage provide us a way into the country, a large part of the police force will be guarding the concert venue. We will be less likely to be seen, and the less people around the better. If you hadn’t realized, what we are about to do is very illegal and we are _already_ outlaws!

“Then that is why you need me there with you!” Lucio stood up in anger, hands balling into fists. “You think that this would be my first break in into a Vishkar agency?”

“Lucio, I don’t doubt your skill, but your roll in the mission is to host the concert and that is final. Nobody else can do it!”

Lucio grit his teeth, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Well, who _is_ going to go into Vishkar then?”

Winston hesitated before answering. Just for a moment, but enough for Lucio to notice.

“Agents McCree, Hanzo, Lena and Satya,” As Winston finished listing names Lucio rolled his eyes, giving an exasperated gesture with his hands.

“ _Really?-_ ” Lucio started to protest, cheeks burning hot in anger.

“Lucio, _please_ ,” Winston interrupted. Lucio jumped from the unfamiliar harshness in the scientists tone. Winston was staring hard at Lucio, mouth slightly agape and huge teeth visible.

“I am doing my _damn_ best to try and organize this team _alone_. I know that I-I am not the best at this, and I know that there are moments that people wish they were doing something else than what they are assigned. But we _all_ need to suck it up and act like a team and do our part,” Winston stood on his hind legs, looming over Lucio. Lucio hugged his arm, guilt immediately washing over him.

“Winston, I didn’t-” Lucio started again, but Winston held up a hand.

“I don’t want to hear it, Agent Lucio,” The formal address stung in Lucio’s stomach. Winston started to walk away toward the large monitor. “You can read the rest of the details in your mission report. You are dismissed,”

Lucio stood awkwardly for a moment before sighing, turning to walk out silently from the room.

~

The day D.Va arrived it was a constant buzz of movement and business all across the Watchpoint. The Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army had extremely high standards for the Overwatch base in order to house a MEKA unit and pilot, so the 24 hours leading up to her arrival was all spent preparing an open space for D.Va’s MEKA alone, and if was not spent doing that it was cleaning the rest of the Watchpoint. Winston was nervous about this development and the high expectations that the Mobie Exo-Force of the Korean Army was putting onto him, but most of the team tried their best to work hard and ease his worries until finally the Korean aircraft was heard approaching the Watchpoint, blades clearly heard wiring and slicing through the cold air.

Two aircrafts approached. One was a large cargo bob with the MEKA insignia was printed largely on the sides. The second aircraft was a smaller passenger helicopter that was painted hot pink with white and blue details. D.Va’s personal bunny logo was on the front like a face. All of the occupants of the Watchpoint were present when she landed in some way. Winston and Lucio stood in wait at the West landing pad for the helicopter that D.Va was in. The rest of the team was present at the East landing pad, standing ready to help unload the cargo bob when it landed.

Winston and Lucio had not spoken much since their last meeting, but Lucio had gone over the details of the mission plan. It _was_ well thought out, but that didn’t stop him from being a little upset. At least he was still going to be able to meet Fareeha Amari of the Helix Security group in Egypt. But Lucio mostly felt bad for making Winston mad, but it seemed like the scientist had put it all behind him when he greeted him on the landing pad. Together, they waited.

In comparison to Lucio’s arrival, the Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Armies arrival was much larger and with much more pomp and circumstance. When D.Va stepped out of the helicopter, Lucio barely got a welcoming cheer out before she was surrounded by security guards on all sides. Men and women in suits with the Korean Army logo on their chests. Sunglasses, ear pieces, and quickly speaking Korean silently as they surrounded D.Va. Lucio tried his best to get a look at her, and it seemed like D.Va was trying her best as well. Lucio caught a glance of her face, a smile coming to her lips before she was moved away from the helicopter to allow the next passenger out. Lucio’s heart sunk with a thud. _That’s not quite how I pictured this._

Followed out by D.Va and security was a stoic looking man, face aged from stress and pinstripe suit in perfect condition. On either side of him was a security guard similar to the team D.Va had, standing perfectly still at attention. The mysterious man had to be D.Va’s boss; the leader of the MEKA team. He was staring directly at Winston. With a small hand signal he beckoned the gorilla forward. Winston quickly glanced at Lucio, worry etched on his face. Lucio gave him a quick look saying _Get moving, man!_ Before Winston took a deep breath, bounding across the landing pad toward him. They exchanged a few words, he heard Winston give a worried chuckle before the man turned back around and boarded the helicopter again, security guards following suit. The guards surrounding D.Va filled back into the helicopter until only she was left, standing quite formally until she was alone.

 Lucio stood where he was, smile crawling wider on his face. He didn’t hear the helicopter blades starting to whir, or hear Winston say something to him. He watched as Hana took off sprinting toward Lucio, smile wide and arms reaching out. Lucio got a few steps in before he was engulfed in a hug, almost knocking them both over.

“Lucio!!” Hana shouted in his ears. Lucio let out a loud laugh, rebalancing the both of them. He hugged her tight, squeezing her tiny torso until she let out a groan in pain. Lucio felt a tear well in his eye as he set her down, the wind from the helicopter whipping both of their hair wildly.

“I can’t believe it’s you!” She shouted over the roar of the aircraft.

“What!?” Lucio shouted back, laughing. Hana hugged him again, swinging him around slightly.

“You’re _soooo_ short!” She cried. Lucio groaned and she laughed again. Lucio wiped his eyes when she let go again. He placed his hands on her arms, squeezing slightly. This was real, this was happening. This is what he needed. This moment made the strife of the week melt away.

~ ~ ~

“McCree,”

Jesse looked up from where he sat, perched on top of Torbjörns workshop, looking over the ocean as the sun set. Jesse wasn’t even gonna ask how Hanzo had gotten up to his smoking spot, the boxes he had used to get up her had fallen down on his way up. If he was anything like Genji, he must have been an excellent climber.

“If it aint Hanzo,” McCree chuckled, taking a small puff from his cigarillo before placing the butt into his little ash tray. Hanzo eyed the tray, the amount of ashes that were collected in there implied that the tray may have been left up here a long time, or McCree had smoked 10 cigars in the last 30 minutes. Next to the tray was a half empty bottle of Whiskey – Where McCree could have gotten it was a mystery.

Hanzo stood still, watching McCree. McCree turned his head back a little bit, eyeing him with a cocked brow and a grin.

“Well don’t just stand there, looking pretty. Si’down,” McCree gestured to the spot next to him. Hanzo quickly stepped forward, hanging his feet off the edge of the building.

“That Meka team sure had a lot of shit to bring in, din’it?” McCree commented, taking a swig from his bottle. Hanzo eyed him, lip upturned in disgust but McCree didn’t catch it. McCree offered the bottle.

“Wanna drink?”

“No thank you, I have my own,”

McCree chuckled as Hanzo uncorked his weird looking canteen, pouring a little cup full of the liquid. They sat in silence for twenty, maybe thirty minutes until McCree broke the silence again.

“Noticed you got ah… _Brand_ , on your right arm,” McCree drawled, turning back to look at Hanzo. His words were slightly slurred now, but he was still aware of what he was saying. The archer stiffened, hand coming to grip his right bicep.

“Mind tellin’ the story of that one?” McCree asked casually, but Hanzo felt hot all over. He set his cup down, looking away.

“No. That is private,” Hanzo replied harshly. McCree gave a disappointed look, setting his bottle down.

“Alright. I don’t wanna push no buttons,” McCree half chuckled, leaning back until his back was on the roof, sighing out contently. He adjusted his hat to rest over his face, letting the setting sun’s warmth to wash over him.

Hanzo stared at the cowboy for a long moment, hand still gripping his arm. Finally he sighed, leaning down until he was resting as well.

“It is the symbol of the Shimada clan. When I left, they branded me. So that… I could never forget who I was. Who I _am,_ ”

McCree lifted his hat up, resting it on his chest. His other arm came to rest under his head.

“… That’s fucked up,” McCree put bluntly.

At that, Hanzo laughed. First it was a bitter snicker, then an honest laugh before it became a full belly laugh. He sat back up, hunching over slightly as he continued to laugh. McCree gave a little chuckle, sitting back up.

“You’re right,” Hanzo finally responded as his chuckles subsided. “It was… _Fucked,_ ”

“But a burn like that don’t define you,” McCree continued. Hanzo looked back to him, his eyes no longer harsh. McCree rested a hand on Hanzos shoulder.

“Don’t matter how they mark you, you’re your own man,” McCree drawled, rolling up the shirt sleeve on his metal arm side, holding it out for Hanzo to see. Hanzo leaned in to see the top half of a tattoo, words scrawled across saying “DEADLOCK”, the tips of some wings and the cap of a skull. Hanzo looked up at McCree again, examining his amber eyes as they stared down at his tattoo. Had he been so quick to misjudge him for someone with no past strife? McCree was too focused on rolling down his shirt sleeve to notice the quizzical look Hanzo was giving him.

“I had a question for you,” Hanzo finally piped up again. McCree gave a small smile.

“Well shoot, sugar. I’m all ears,”

Hanzo stiffened his lip again before sighing.

“Why are we going after this Vishkar Company? I thought Overwatch fought Talon,”

McCree thought for a long moment, staring out as the sun finally dipped under the water, the golden path fading into the rich dark blue. Finally, he let out a long sigh.

“Talon is a big priority on our list, but I think we have run out of Talon leads and waiting for them to make a clear move, or Talon is too high profile to go after right now. But on the other hand, the movements Vishkar is taking are kinda…. Similar to Talon, so we need to check it out. And, regardless, Overwatch helps people. And Vishkar ain’t good people. It is our job to stop them,”

Hanzo nodded at the answer, looking out over the water again. They let another moment of silence pass before McCree slowly got up, groaning slightly as he stretched his back.

“Well, this ol’ dog is hittin’ the hay,” McCree said, Hanzo watched as he waved behind his shoulder, leaving the bottle and the ashtray as he moved toward the edge where the stack of boxes were. McCree looked at the fallen stack for a moment before carefully climbing down. Before fulling dropping, he looked back at Hanzo.

“Have a good night, alright?” He called. Hanzo gave a small grin, nodding shortly in response.

“You too, gunslinger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos are appreciated, comments keep me going! Like something? Dislike something? Let me know in the comments!
> 
> Tumblr: letmeshinebright


	21. Scorched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to Egypt! And the temperature aint the only thing heating up
> 
> (NSFW CONTENT AHEAD)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: NSFW CONTENT ahead later on in the chapter! 
> 
>  
> 
> HEY GUYS MY COMPUTER IS STILL BEING WEIRD so to upload this I emailed all the text to myself, then copy and pasted it piece by piece. Hope it all came out right....
> 
>  
> 
> Also! It's longer than most of my chapters! So I hope you enjoy!!

"Winston. A word, please?”

Reinhardt sat down next to Winston, who was sitting in the dining hall with a full bunch of bananas and two open jars of peanut butter. The gorilla had been so consumed with his plans and notes and preparing for the departure to Egypt he was reading that he almost did not hear Reinhardt speak. He pushed away the paper he was scratching notes on, turning more fully to Reinhardt.

“Yes, Reinhardt?

“I know that I am not in the original plans for the Egypt mission, but I was wondering if I could still come with you,”

Winston blinked a moment, scratching his chin. Reinhardt could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the way his movements were just a touch sluggish.

“What I had in mind,” Reinhardt continued before Winston could outright reject the idea. “Was to accompany Lucio to his concert venue as a body guard,”

Winston raised a brow, head turning slightly.

“Oh?”

“Yes! It’s awfully dangerous for Lucio to be alone without another Overwatch member accompanying him. _Especially_ with the media already speculating that Lucio has joined Overwatch. He could be a potential target for Talon or Vishkar to sabotage or hurt him,”

Winston hummed in contemplation, bringing his notes back closer to him and pushing his glasses further up on his nose.

“That… Is not a bad idea, Reinhardt,” Winston continued, Reinhardt held his triumphant smile.

“I thought you may agree with my reasoning,” Reinhardt gave a calm smile. Winston added a few more notes to his paper.

“Well you may want to run this past Lucio, and prepare for departure. Sadly, your mission gear will not fit on the aircraft for this trip. It’s too late to make adjustments in cargo, so you will have to go without,”

Reinhardt nodded in understanding, raising himself up from the table, he reached over and pulled a banana from the bunch, Winston not giving any reaction or even seeming to notice.

“How are you feeling, _Freund_? You look tired,”

Winston sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

“I am fine, Reinhardt. Thank you for the concern,”

Reinhardt slowly unpeeled the banana he took, looking Winston up and down before giving a short nod and turning to walk away.

“Okay, boss. I will see you at the launch pad at 1700 hours,”

~ ~ ~

The take off to Egypt went as smoothly as everyone could ask for, Lena and Winston seated up in the cockpit with everyone else in the main part of the ship. Hanzo and McCree sat together at the table, playing what looked to be a game of cards but the cards where small and made of hard plastic. Hanzo had called it “Hanafuda”. He kept explaining rules to McCree, who kept asking the same questions over and over. Surprisingly, Hanzo was incredibly patient with McCree while he taught the foreign game to the cowboy, even congratulating him when he ended up winning. “It ain’t really a win if you moved all my cards for me, darlin’,” he commented with a chuckle before they reset and started again.

Satya moved back and forth from the cockpit to the hull, whenever she was seated in the hull her earbuds were placed in her ears carefully and a sketchbook was in her lap, hurriedly sketching out what looked to be architectural designs for buildings, light technology, cities, so on and so forth. The illustrations were beautiful and perfectly detailed from the reflection of the window to the lock on the doorknob from what could be seen when she set it down to walk to the cockpit.

Lucio and Reinhardt sat together, the DJ with a large pair of headphones over his ears and leaning against the crusader and slept. Reinhardt had informed him earlier that he was coming along with Lucio for the concert, and he had never seen a smile wider on the young man’s face. But now, he was fast asleep.

He had spent nearly every moment with Hana after she stepped off the helicopter, staying up all night playing videogames and writing music with her. Laughing, chatting, awkwardly lounging against each other in the common area as Hana angrily played Bloodborne, Lucio laughing at her when she died (Which apparently happened a lot).

“It’s comfortable,” Lucio insisted when Reinhardt walked in and questioned him. He was laid across her lap with a leg perched on the top of the couch. Hana was seated cross-legged and leaning forward, not even seeming to notice the DJ resting on top of her as she destroyed a terrifying looking beast on the screen. Reinhardt sat with them and watched, Hana even let him have a turn with the controller when he said he used to play a game similar in his youth. And, let it be known, Hana was impressed as she watched him play.

Hana told Reinhardt to keep Lucio safe while on the mission, and he had given his word. A gentleman never broke his word. Reinhardt smiled down at Lucio, refraining from leaning down and kissing his forehead or wrapping an arm around him. Satya eyed them occasionally with a quizzical look, the German only offering friendly smiles in return. There was no need to create more tension if they were going to be working together.

It did not take long to reach Egypt from Watchpoint Gibraltar. Before long Lena’s bright voice came over the intercom, telling everyone that she would be descending the aircraft soon. Reinhardt shook Lucio gently awake, the younger blinking the sleep slowly out of his eyes.

“Whu… We there already?” Lucio yawned, stretching his arms high above his head, his shoulders cracking.

“Nearly there, Lena just announced that we would be descending soon,” Reinhardt chuckled, looking over to see McCree playfully slam his hands against the table as he lost the game Hanzo had brought again, Hanzo plucking the cigar off the table.

“I win again _, gunslinger_ ,” Hanzo teased, placing the rather expensive looking cigar in his bag. His winnings, it appeared.

“You don’t even smoke,” McCree grumbled, crossing his arms with an agitated smile.

“You don’t know that,” Hanzo replied, “Maybe I will enjoy this… This…” Hanzo’s eyes went out of focus, staring at the ground. McCree couldn’t hold his smile, chuckling after a moment of silence passed. Hanzos jaw tightened, staring intently at the Cigar.

“This… It’s a… It’s…” He blinked again, looking at the cigar with intense eyes.

“Ciga–” McCree started, speaking slowly with a wide smile.

“ _Cigar!_ ” Hanzo shouted over him, a blush coming to his cheeks. McCree could not hold his guffaw.

“Did you forget the word!?” McCree laughed.

“Unlike you, English is my _third_ language!” Hanzo glared at him angrily, blushing. McCree rubbed his neck, smiling.

“Well, I’ll bring my own cards next time and we’ll play _Euchre,_ let’s see who wins that one,”

“Alright, you two, settle down,” Reinhardt laughed as he called across the cabin. Hanzo was still flushed red as he stood to move to the seats with safety belts. “It’s time to get strapped back into the seats. We are landing,”

“Alright, alright,” McCree slung his bag over his shoulder and moved to sit down, strapping himself in one seat over from Hanzo. The aircraft descended slowly, a little bit of shaking but then finally there was touchdown.

“Okay, everyone! It’s safe to get up!” Lena announced over the intercom. Hanzo was the first to unbuckle himself and swiftly move for the door. McCree followed, bubbling an apology after him. Lucio and Reinhardt stood together, the DJ stretching his arms high above his head.

“Man! I’ve never been to Egypt before. I wonder, what’s it like?” Lucio asked, looking up at Reinhardt.

“Eh… It’s kinda sandy, really hot… You may like the heat, but I prefer a nice, cool day over a sweltering one,” Reinhardt shrugged with a smile, pulling out a pair of loose shorts from his bag. “I’ll be out in a second, I need to change my pants,”

Lucio laughed, but let him go. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen him in shorts. He had seen him in boxers, but that was on accident when he walked in on him half changing. The crusader insisted that he did not mind, but Lucio wanted to respect his privacy. He wasn’t sure how fast

Reinhardt wanted to move into this relationship, but Lucio was willing to go as slow as needed. Maybe he needed it to go slow, he wasn’t sure. In truth, he had never had a long-term commitment relationship before. He had dated, sure. He had anonymous one night stands and quick make outs in bars, but never had he been so lucky to have someone in his life like Reinhardt.  

Lucio stepped out of the aircraft and was immediately hit with the dry air. It was not uncomfortable, but it did shock him a bit after coming out of the controlled cool air of the aircraft. He had thought the Watchpoint was dry in comparison to home, now when he went back he would go with a new-found appreciation for the ocean air. In every direction there was sand and sand-colored buildings, but the setting sun cast it all in a beautiful golden light and left the sky in rich shades of red and purple. Even though the sun was setting, the air was still hot. Hanzo and McCree stood together, McCree was fanning himself with his hat and Hanzo had taken off his heavy green coat. As Lucio exited, Satya followed out quietly, her personal bag rolling behind her soundlessly. Lucio moved out of the way for her, wanting to stay as far away as possible. She glanced at him quickly before looking away, joining McCree and Hanzo. Lena came out next wearing a light orange top and jean capris, aviator sunglasses resting on top of her head and a duffle bag slung over her shoulders. She winked at Lucio before descending further, Winston close behind.

He let out a long yawn, as if he had just woken up. Lucio wouldn’t have been surprised if the gorilla had slept the entire way too, he was constantly moving back at the Watchpoint and Lucio honestly was not sure when Winston got any sleep. After another minute Reinhardt came out with his bag, now wearing basketball shorts. Lucio moved to him and walked with Reinhardt to everyone else.

“Okay, we arrived a little early, but the car from Helix should be here soon,” Winston informed, rubbing his eye slightly as he read from his notes. Everyone nodded in understanding. In the distance Lucio spotted a limousine quickly approaching them.

“Uh… Is that our ride?” Lucio pointed, everyone followed his gaze to the approaching car. Winston cocked an eyebrow, going through his notes again.

“No… that is not a Helix vehicle…” Winston squinted at the car, “Nobody else should be approaching,”

The limousine came to a stop about 100 feet away from the aircraft. It was a moment of suspended silence when a woman stepped out of the car. Her curly hair was tied up high in a puffy ponytail, her light blue pantsuit complementing her dark brown skin well. Her eyes were intense and slightly sleep deprived, scrolling through her smart phone while she talked through an earpiece. She walked boldly toward the aircraft, one inch heels echoing across the pavement dully. She stopped, still looking at her phone before she looked up, giving an impatient look. Everyone looked back at her confused.

“Where is Lucio?” The woman asked. Winston was about to retort the question but Lucio stepped up, a confused look on his face.

“Mariana? What are you doing here? You were supposed to pick me up from Helix Security in a few hours,”

“Change of plans, sweetheart. We need you at the concert venue now. We need to run a dress rehearsal and we can’t wait on you,”

Lucio knit his eyebrows together, not looking happy. Everyone else remained silent, glancing at Lucio. Reinhardt took a few steps forward but didn’t come next to Lucio.

“Everyone, this is my manager, Mariana,” Lucio gestured to her with a tired smile. “You can’t wait two hours for me to finish a meeting?” Lucio questioned, Mariana shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Lucio, but this is the best I can do. You jumped me with this concert and I’m doing the best I can. We’ve been working all day to put this venue together and we just need you to be there. The sooner we have this dress finished, the sooner your crew can go home,”

Lucio bit his lip, guilt coming to his stomach again. He didn’t want to add any stress to the rest of his crew, he was being selfish. He nodded his head.

“Alright,” he said quietly, turning around to the rest of the group.

“I-I guess I will see you later, then,” Lucio spoke, disappointment obvious in his tone. He stepped past everyone and grabbed his bag. As he moved toward the limo Mariana spoke again.

“Were is your, um…” The woman looked down at her phone before speaking again. “Your ‘body guard’?”

“Oh!” Lucio smacked his head, “Right… Reinhardt, you need to come with me,”

Reinhardt nodded his head, scooping up his bag again and moving toward the limo. Before getting in, Reinhardt turned to the group, waving.

“Best of luck! Tell Fareeha I say ‘Hello!’” He shouted joyfully. He slid into the car seat next to Lucio, smiling as the car pulled away, leaving the rest of the team behind.

The limousine was spacious, more spacious than what Reinhardt expected. The interior was open, the seats lining around the sides like long couches. The seats were leather, windows tinted and bulletproof, the carpet of the car was plush and clean, a TV was on the back wall of the interior, there an ice bucket with a bottle of Champagne, accompanied by four glasses. The driver’s portion of the car was blocked off by a wall with a small window that could be opened. Reinhardt sat down on the opposing side of Lucio, but the DJ didn’t even seem to address the interior. He sat down and curled his feet up to his chest, resting his head on his elbow. After about five minutes of silence Reinhardt sighed, shifting over to Lucio’s side of the car.

“What is wrong, _Liebeling_?” Reinhardt cooed, wrapping an arm around him. Lucio sighed, but let himself be pulled into the embrace.

“It’s stupid,” Lucio mumbled. Reinhardt pet the top of his head gently.

“No… No emotions you feel are stupid. All are important, and valid,”

Lucio looked up at him before nuzzling deeper into his arms.

“I’m just… Mad. First I didn’t get to enter the Vishkar building in Rio, then Satya came and nobody listened to me about my discomfort. Now the one meeting I thought I was finally going to be able to attend, I have to go do a damn sound check. And then I don’t even get to go on the mission!”

Lucio sighed, pulling away slightly. Reinhardt looked down at him with a concerned look.

“I just… Don’t want to feel excluded from this team. I don’t want to feel like a burden,” Lucio didn’t make eye contact when he spoke. Reinhardt rubbed a hand up and down his back.

“No… You are not a burden.

You are a part of this team just the same as anyone else. Just as important, just as valued,”

Lucio let out a tired sigh, leaning against Reinhardt again. “Thanks, I… I’m glad you’re here with me. I’m glad I’m not alone,”

 Reinhardt rubbed gentle circled on Lucio’s back and shoulders as the DJ relaxed against him. They remained in comfortable silence for another ten minutes. Finally, Lucio raised his head again.

“Reinhardt… Can I sit in your lap?”

Reinhardt flushed red as he was caught off guard by the question. Lucio placed a hand on the crusader’s thigh.

“Y-yes! If you want,”

Lucio silently crawled up onto the larger man’s lap, his thighs spreading wide as he sat down. Lucio placed his hands on Reinhardt’s shoulders, smiling up at him. Reinhardt placed his hands on his thighs, unsure what Lucio was thinking.

“Do you like this?” Lucio asked in a low tone, hands coming from Reinhardt’s shoulders to circle his neck, drawing his head down lower. Reinhardt nodded his head, smiling as their lips brushed barely.

“It is a pretty sight,” Reinhardt chuckled before placing a proper kiss on his lips. Smooth lips against slightly rough lips. Lucio had noticed that Reinhardt used chap-stick more often ever since they had established their relationship. The kisses turned from slow and steady to hot and passionate, Lucio wrapping his arms fully around his neck. Reinhardt moved his hands to Lucio’s back, drawing him closer to him. Lucio swiped his tongue across Reinhardt’s lips, asking for permission which was quickly granted. Lucio’s moans quickly filled the car as Reinhardt’s tongue invaded his mouth. Reinhardt pulled away, trailing kisses to Lucio’s neck.

“Sounds like you like this, hmm?” Reinhardt chuckled as Lucio subconsciously rolled his hips, flushing hotly. Lucio moaned in embarrassment, but his hard-on was now obvious. Reinhardt hummed low, moving one of his hands to Lucio’s hips. Lucio held a groan – his touch was so close, yet not close enough.

“I could take care of that for you, if you wish,” Reinhardt offered, moving his mouth away from his neck to look at Lucio. They had yet to touch each other so intimately but the thought made Lucio’s eyes go wide, blushing hotly.

“Here?” He breathed out, glancing toward the window that lead to the driver and passenger seats. It was a soundproof limousine, but if that window opened…

Reinhardt smiled warmly, his other hand moving down to cup Lucio’s ass, causing him to jump but moan slightly.

“Only if you want to,” Reinhardt whispered in his ear, kissing along his jaw again. It tickled slightly as Reinhardt’s beard rubbed against Lucio’s neck. Lucio rolled his hips down again. He wanted this, he has wanted this but they never got past this point before. But it felt good, better yet it felt _right_.

_"Yes,_ ” Lucio’s grip tightened around the crusader’s neck, moaning the words out into his ear. “Yes, yes, _please,_ ”

Reinhardt’s hand moved slowly, moving to Lucio’s crotch and rubbing gently. Lucio gasped, leaning back to allow Reinhardt to move and see what his hands were doing. Reinhardt hummed contently, drawing the zipper down slowly.

“Is this alright?” Reinhardt asked, Lucio nodded his head vigorously yes, which made Reinhardt smile. He leaned forward again and kissed his lips, hands dipping into Lucio’s pants to rub his cock through his briefs.

“You’re so hard, _Liebe,_ ” Reinhardt commented with a slightly surprised yet breathy tone. The casualness of it made Lucio moan and flush hot, bringing one hand from Reinhardt’s neck to his face, covering his mouth and nose. Reinhardt chuckled, squeezing his hand slightly his cock which made Lucio gasp again.

“Do not be embarrassed, Lucio,” Reinhardt said, moving Lucio’s hand away, kissing the top of it gently. “Every noise you make is beautiful,”

“Reinhardt…” Lucio moaned out with a smile before his back arched in pleasure, gasping loudly as Reinhardt’s fingers dipped into his briefs, finally making full contact. Lucio trembled as Reinhardt jerked him off, his entire hand encompassing his member easily. Though his hands appeared rough and strong he was surprisingly gentle. Moving slow and giving a slight twist with each pump. It was different, but good. Reinhardt took Lucio’s free hand

again, bringing it down to his on Lucio’s member.

“Show me how you like to do it, _Liebe,_ ”

Lucio looked Reinhardt in the eyes briefly before looking down, nodding shortly in understanding. He tightened his hand around Reinhardt’s, moving his hand. He moved them faster and in longer strokes than how Reinhardt was doing it before, but the gentle twist that Reinhardt was giving him made Lucio’s thighs tremble and his chest tighten. Lucio let go, gripping Reinhardt tighter.

“That’s it, good, like that,” Lucio gasped, breathing heavily now. Precum dripped from his tip into Reinhardt’s hand, causing the cabin of the limousine to be filled with the most lewd squelches imaginable, mixed with Lucio’s gasps and moans it all went straight to the bottom of Reinhardt’s stomach and into his own member. But this was not about him, it was about Lucio.

Suddenly, Reinhardt went faster and squeezed a bit harder. He drew Lucio closer to him, kissing up his jaw to his ear. Lucio melted into his touch, his eyes rolling back slightly. From pleasure.

“Good, so good for me, Lucio. Moaning so beautifully for me, _only_ me,” Reinhardt whispered into his ear, low and growly and oh so good that it went straight to Lucio’s cock. Lucio nodded his head, gritting his teeth as he flushed hot from the praise.

“I can imagine it now. Us, just like this in bed. But my cock deep inside you, _filling_ you, until you scream. Until all you feel is pleasure. That sounds nice, yes?”

Lucio nodded aggressively again, moaning low. The mental image pushed him closer, and Reinhardt’s words were not helping him hold back. Reinhardt thrusted up slightly with a low growl, Lucio’s eyes went wide as he felt Reinhardt’s member press up against his ass. He moaned again, louder, more freely but broken by breaths.

“Re-Rein…” Lucio whined. Reinhardt’s mouth moved to Lucio’s neck, nibbling again gently.

“Are you close?” Reinhardt cooed, smiling at how Lucio trembled under his voice. “Are you close just thinking about it? About me _inside_ you, with my hand around your pretty cock?”

As Reinhardt spoke, he emphasized words by pumping his hand harder and twisting his hand a little rougher that just sent Lucio right on the knife’s edge of orgasming. Lucio couldn’t help but thrust into Reinhardt’s hand weakly, whining out and breathing hot against Reinhardt’s ear. He nodded his head yes, voice needy now.

“P-Please…” Lucio pleased. Reinhardt placed a gentle kiss on Lucio’s temple.

“You can cum, _Liebe_. Cum for me,”

It took another few seconds before Lucio’s whole body quaked, back arching away and vision blurring slightly as he came into Reinhardt’s hand, hot sticky cum coating his palm and fingers. Reinhardt hummed contently, pumping Lucio’s cock gently as he rode it out. Lucio’s arms and thighs trembled, falling against Reinhardt. Lucio’s breath was labored and heavily. Reinhardt’s hands rubbed his back in smooth circles, kissing Lucio’s forehead as he trembled with aftershocks. After a few minutes Lucio lifted his head, though his eyes were tired and muscles felt like jelly.

“Rein…” Lucio’s voice spoke weakly, Reinhardt quickly drew him close again, wrapping his arms around him in a warm hug.

“Shh, hush now. Sleep. You will need your strength,”

And just like that, Lucio feel into a comfortable sleep against Reinhardt’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos is appreciated, Comments let me know you like it and keep me going and inspired! Like something? Dislike something? Wanna tell me stuff? Let me know down below! Thanks! 
> 
> Find me!  
> Tumblr: letmeshinebright


	22. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go to Vishkar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay 1. Im so sorry for the delay, I had a huge huge writers block. I just... Could not write the beginning of this chapter. Im still not quite happy with it but Ive had about 10 pages written out for a month that I just needed to write the beginning to bridge it a bit. So here is chapter 22! Im sorry

It was not long after Lucio and Reinhardt departed the group that the Helix cars pulled up and into the airport, 3 cars approaching and stopping roughly 100 feet away. There was a brief moment of silence as the cars sat absolutely still, then one of the doors finally opened. From the car emerged a tall woman, lean yet muscular in build with darker skin and short black hair just above her shoulders. She was dressed for business in a dark blue pinstripe suit with a bright yellow tie. Her eyes were intense, piercing across the lot easily to Winston. Under her eye was a clearly defined tattoo, similar to her mother’s – Winston could never forget Ana’s tattoo.

A smile cracked across Fareeha Amari’s face as she approached, her proud stride turning to a slight jog as she met Lena and McCree running toward her, greeting her with a large hug. McCree tussled her hair, Lena looked her up and down with the utmost pride and Fareeha let out a joyful laugh.

“My friends! It is good to see you again,” She finally spoke, trying and failing to hide the fact she was wiping a happy tear from her eye.

“Please! Join me, we have much to discuss once we get to Helix HQ,”

The drive was not long, the 5 Overwatch members dividing up amongst the 3 cars. Winston and Fareeha taking one, Lena and Satya taking another, and McCree and Hanzo taking the last car. It was smooth driving the entire way, an excited buzz coming over the older members of the group that Satya could feel in the air from entering the cars all the way to walking up the steps of the Helix security, following behind McCree, Lena, Winston and Fareeha as they continued to chatter. Hanzo stepped in time with Satya, exchanging a glance with her. A knowing glance – _They needed some time to reconnect, it had obviously been a long time._

~ ~ ~

The echo of laughter finally faded away as they all sat around a dark wood table. Plates of Baklava and cups filled with either tea or a thick fruit juice were set out for everyone’s pleasure. Fareeha smiled fondly at the table, a hand resting on Winston’s own large one.

“It is truly a pleasure to see you all again, my friends,” She smiled wide again, then looked to Hanzo and Satya, who had both remained relatively silent the entire time. “And, it is good to meet the both of you, I look forward to getting to know you both a little more,”

Satya nodded to Fareeha quietly, but offered a small smile. Hanzo set his flaky desert down, looking across at Fareeha.

“Not to be rude, but I believe it is time to start discussing what it is we came here to do in the first place,”

There was a shift around the table, a few nods. Fareeha brushed her suit coat of crumbs, nodding in agreement.

“You are right, Mr. Shimada,” She gave a formal smile, then looked to Winston.

“If I recall correctly, Overwatch is requesting the assistance of Helix Security International in your endeavors of trying to unearth a hidden Vishkar plot in Egypt?”

“That is correct,” Winston nodded, folding his fingers together on top of the table. “The assistance would be greatly appreciated, as we do not have many resources here in Egypt,”

Fareeha nods in understanding. Going quiet for a moment. For the first time this evening, nervousness came to the Overwatch team. Fareeha swirls her cup of tea, gazing into the dark liquid.

“You know, Winston, I would help Overwatch without question,” She looks over to Winston, a tad melancholy. “It is the least I could do. But my colleagues, they may need a bit more convincing,”

“We are willin’ to do whatever it takes, Far’” McCree assures, leaning on the table. Fareeha nods her head, a sparkle in her eye as she looks at McCree before looking back to Winston.

“Could you provide more to Helix about Vishkar and their plans? I can review them tonight, then tomorrow I can get a final verdict,” She says. She sees the slight nervousness come to Winston, so she reaches over again and places her hand on his.

“Winston, I wish for this to happen. I will try my best to. If I have to, I will bend whatever rules I can,”

Winston nods, taking a deep sigh.

“Then there is not much else we can do tonight,” he looks over to Satya, “Satya is our resource on Vishkar. She can send you whatever documentation you need,”

Fareeha looks over to Satya, who nods a slightly stiff smile as she sips her tea.

“Excellent. If you could stay a little later, you can upload what I need to my computer. The rest of you, cars are waiting to take you to a nearby hotel. It is a safe place, you will not have to worry about being discovered there,”

The team nods, rising up from the table. Fareeha leads everyone out, Satya staying close next to her. As the group descended the stairs, Winston turns back around halfway down, looking up at Fareeha.

“You know, Overwatch would welcome you with open arms,” Winston calls to her. Fareeha gives a sad smile.

“I know,” She thinks for a moment. “But I have my own team. They need me here,”

Winston stays on the stairs for another moment, before nodding, continuing down. Fareeha sighs out, turning to Satya as the cars pulled away.

“It will only take a moment, then I can send you on your way to the hotel. Please, follow me to my office,”

~ ~ ~

“And that’s a wrap for the night!”

Lucio relaxed his shoulders from his final dance pose, shaking his head out and clapping. He looked around the stage at his crew, smiling.

“Good job, everyone!” He smiled, walking over to the refreshment table set up for everyone. Mariana came up behind him, tapping his shoulder. He raised a brow, leaning into her.

“A car from Helix Security International is here for you,” She whispered low to him. “The crew can finish up here. You go on,”

Lucio’s eyes brightened up, giving her a short kiss on her cheek.

“Thank you, Mariana!” He smiled, scooping up a bottle of water from the table. He jogged over to Reinhardt behind stage, who was leaned against a wall, scrolling through his phone.

“Rein!” He called, the Crusader looked up, cocking a brow.

“A Helix car is here,” He smiled, yawning slightly. “Let’s go, yeah?”

~

In the hotel, everyone had their own suite. The staff did not even question them when they entered, and the other guests seemed oblivious to their presence. It was an odd luxury to be able to sit down in a lobby without fear, the staff bringing them more tea and juice while rooms were being prepared. 

The following day, before anyone had even woken up, an email was sent to the team. Fareeha had spoken with the other members of Helix, and there was a unison of agreement to help Overwatch on the down low, and in the future they could call on each other. Overwatch did not need any more attention, and if the world found out Helix was helping them it would cause unneeded tension in the media.

The hotel would provide for them food and board while a plan was developed to take on Vishkar. They had one week until Lucio’s concert – the night they would take them on. During the day Lucio returned to his concert venue with Reinhardt to practice for his concert, and any spare time he had was spent practicing and composing music. The rest of the team spent their day at the Helix building, developing a plan, searching the city database to match up with Vishkar notes, and even training with Fareeha and her team. Once they all had zeroed in on a sure location, the plan was set; During the concert, Agents Tracer, Hanzo, McCree and Symmetra would go to the Vishkar building, access terminals in the building, plant explosives, and get out. No chance to be traced back to Overwatch, Helix’s name would also remain clean, and Vishkar’s plans would be slowed down.

Lucio and Reinhardt made their final departure, wishing the team the best of luck. Then, they waited until sundown.

~ ~ ~

“I am in position,” McCree whispered into his hidden microphone, glancing at the far tower that Hanzo was allegedly going to station himself in. “I am ready to go when you are,”

“Roger, we are ready to move,” Tracer confirmed from the other side of the facility. She and Symmetra stood together on the far side of the stronghold.

“My Teleporter is ready for deployment as soon as I find the most logical position to place it,” Symmetra informed. “Work quickly, and this should be… Successful,”

“Hanzo, how about on your end?” McCree questioned. Everyone waited in silent suspense when Hanzo did not immediately answer.

“Hanzo?” McCree asked again, worry in his tone.

“I’ve staked my claim of this position,” Hanzo finally confirmed, and a collective sigh came from Tracer and McCree. "Still got the explosives?" McCree asked. "I have them, yes," Hanzo confirmed. Then there was, again, silence, waiting for confirmation of it being clear to go. McCree could have sworn he heard an arrow wiz by in his relative direction, but he could not prove that thought. Five minutes later Hanzo’s mic crackled to life again.

“Tracer and Symmetra, there is one guard on your outside path standing guard at the door leading in. He is stationary, no revolution of guards on that side. McCree, you are clear to move according to my position. Watch your sides,”

“Roger that,” McCree started to move in. He had left the spurs and poncho back in the ship, instead he had been given a stealthier, all black outfit. He felt like he was in his Blackwatch uniform again and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. The mission was very Blackwatch-esque as well. All that was missing was Gabriel griping in his ear, Genji at his side and his left arm in one piece.

“Tracer and Symmetra. The guard at the door is armed,” Hanzo warned. “I cannot get a clear shot of him. If you can draw him out a little farther I may be able to,”

“You got it!” Tracer confirmed. She turned to Symmetra, giving a cheery smile. “You wait here. I’ll be right back!”

And with that, she was gone with a blue flash of light. Symmetra turned her head just in time to watch a light trail lead around the corner. Symmetra listened closely to her com, she could hear Tracer’s short breaths and a small clink of a coin against pavement. Then, in another moment, Tracer was standing in front of her again just as she was a few moments ago. The short brit grabbed her arm, drawing her away.

“Back up!” She whispered, moving behind a small electrical box as Symmetra heard heavy footsteps approach. The man shouted something in Arabic, Symmetra could not understand. Before the footsteps got to close for comfort there was the sound of something thumping, and a heavy weight collapsing against the ground.

“You are clear,” Hanzo’s calm voice came back over the mic. Tracer smiled at Symmetra, quickly moving out. Symmetra felt a sick feeling come to her stomach. What if she was that guard? She could have been. She got up to try and follow Tracer as best as she could, tiptoeing around the fresh body on the sandy pavement as she went. One of Hanzo’s arrows was deeply lodged in the man’s neck – an immediate, painless death. The man hadn’t even had a chance to let out a yelp.

Symmetra caught up with Tracer at the door. Tracer was turning the knob gently, discovering it to be unlocked.

“Our lucky day, huh?” She commented cheerfully, opening the door slowly.

“I’m moving out to a new vantage point. Keep me updated on how it is going inside,” Hanzo informed.

“All clear on my end so far, just wish I had a map of this place,” McCree commented, voice low.

“If I can find a terminal, I can pull up a map of the facility and send it to all of you,” Symmetra informed. Tracer smiled wide.

“Wow! Glad you’re on our side,” She smiled, stepping in quickly. She stared down the long hall before her, pulling out her dual pistols with a flick of her wrist. “I’m going to keep going. Symmetra, make sure that escape route is secure, okay?”

“The feeling is mutual. And I will work as quickly as possible. If everyone performs their functions, victory can be assured,”

Tracer nodded before she blinked away, running surprisingly quiet down the hall. Symmetra let out a sigh, turning the other way. If this facility was like others, then there should be a terminal in every hall. Symmetra walked down the call slowly, placing a few turrets along the ceiling as she went. If anyone comes down this hall behind me, I will need to know. 

The facility was dark, darker than most Vishkar facilities. Vishkar has a uniform aesthetic they use when designing buildings – White walls, white floors, blue details and very well lit. This building was dark, dusty, secluded. The low florescent lights on the ceiling didn’t cast enough light to even cast defined shadows. Obviously this was a building that was purchased and repurposed so that the passing eye would not even think to question it. If anything, people may think it was just another mysterious government facility.

It was a few minutes of wandering around before she found a computer. It was a narrow miss of a guard walking past, but she stepped up to it quickly. Getting into the terminal was not even a challenge – There was no password lock. Whoever used it before must have left it unlocked. A beginner’s mistake.

“I’ve reached a terminal. I’m uploading a map of the facility to you all now. I will also mark on the map where the main offices are. Tracer and McCree, reach there as quickly as possible,”

“Roger!”

“You got it,”

The screen started to load the map, a progress bar appearing. Just a few minutes, and I will be in the clear. Then, I can start setting up the teleporter.

“Hey! Who are you!?”

Symmetra jumped, turning quickly around on her heel. Two guards stood before her, one had his gun pointed at her. Symmetra could not hold back her gasp.

“Symmetra, what’s going on?” Tracer yelled into her ear.

How did they get past her turrets? She would have been notified that they were destroyed, or at least heard that they were. Symmetra glanced to her left, another hallway lead down that direction. She was not sure how far, but it was the only exit.

“Step away from the computer,” The guard with the gun shouted. Symmetra stepped away slowly, moving toward the left hall.

“State your name and business,” The second guard questioned.

“Symmetra?” McCree’s worried voice came through to her ear.

“My name… Is Satya Vaswani,” Symmetra managed calmly. “I am from the Rio De Genaro office. I am a Vishkar field agent sent here to check that this facility is up to quota,”

“What are you doing?” McCree questioned, but she ignored him.

“Rio? We didn’t get no notice of anyone coming in from Rio,” The guard holding up his gun said, not lowering his weapon.

“Well then obviously you did not get the message. I was very much expected,” Satya hissed out, she could feel her hands and the back of her neck become cold from sweat. “I will have to put this into my report for this facilities manager,”

“Ma’am, you’re gonna have to come with us,” The second guard commanded gruffly. Satya raised her weapon, a photon ball charging up. Both men took a step back, confusion crossing their faces.

“No,” Symmetra released the trigger, the ball flew out casting the room in cold blue light. Both men hit the ground to dodge it and Symmetra took off running down the hallway. As she went she heard the confirmation of the upload from the computer.

“Get her! Fire! Don’t let her get away!”

Symmetra turned quickly on her feet, still moving backwards as she sent out a Projected Shield. The bullets reflected off harmlessly on the light barrier, but that would only work for so long.

“I’ve been spotted, keep going! Get the plans! Place your explosives!” Symmetra shouted into her com before turning it off, shouts of protest and confusion echoing into her ears before it was all silence.

Symmetra continued to run, peppering the hall with turrets as she went to try and slow the men chasing her, but she could hear her creations explode behind her as she went. She didn’t dare stop, the clicking of her heels mixing with the occasional gunshots as she raced down the hall, the bullets whizzing past too close for comfort until she reached the end. Nowhere left to hide, nowhere else to go. Symmetra gasped, turning behind her to face the two men approaching, weapons raised in line with her. She raised her hands in front of her face, ready to feel the bullets rip through her torso—

The thundering feet came to a stop. There was a confused shout, gunshots that made her jump, but then silence. Symmetra moved her arms, peering out. The two men laid on the ground, unconscious or dead, she was not sure. But above them stood a woman in vibrant shades of purple. Her hair was styled to cascade down half of her head, the other half covered in what appeared to be circuits. In one hand she held a particularly dangerous looking gun, in the other her long-nailed fingers were spread wide, sparks flying between her fingertips. She leaned onto one hip, hoisting her gun up onto her shoulder before she barked out a laugh toward the bodies.

“Bet you didn’t see that coming, puta,”

Satya’s heart raced as the mysterious woman sneered down at the bodies, her Spanish accent could be heard clearly in her speech. She turned slowly on her feet to face Satya. Her eyes were highly decorated with intense makeup that made her features pop out in the dark hall, almost glow. She looked Symmetra in the eye, a smug smile coming to her lips before she took a few steps closer. Symmetra flinched, stepping away as she raised her weapon.

“Satya Vaswani,” The mysterious woman spoke, lowering her weapon. She stopped a few feet away, cocking her head slightly to the side before she let out a short laugh.

“Why are you so defensive?” She held her hands up, her gun seeming to disintegrate before Satya’s eyes in a purple matrix disintegration. “Do you not trust me, Satya? I did just save your life,”

“How do you know my name,” Satya growled, keeping her gun up high, finger ready on the trigger. The mysterious woman smiled warmly, her fingers forming a box in front of her, a screen appearing between them. She stretched it out larger, a text conversation forming in the air.

“I’m a friend, Satya. I’ve already helped you before, remember?” The mysterious woman cooed as she left the screen suspended, stalking around it toward Satya like a large cat. Satya lowered her gun, stepping forward to read the screen in front of her. It was the conversation with the mysterious stranger she had had before, back in Brazil. The mysterious person who wanted to be her friend. Friend? The mystery woman came to rest behind Satya, resting a hand on her shoulder. This time Satya did not flinch away, a smile curling onto the mysterious woman’s lips even wider.

“See? You can trust me, Satya, I am on your side,” Satya turned quickly to her, taking one step away from her.

“Well then, who are you?” Satya questioned. The woman continued to smile, her body language friendly. She was right, she had helped her twice now.

“You can call me Sombra,” The woman replied after a moment of hesitation. Satya raised an eye brow.

“Is that your real name?” Satya pressed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Is Symmetra yours?” Sombra challenged back, leaning forward a little closer so that she was in Satya’s personal space. “We all have our secrets, Amiga. Besides, names and introductions is not the most pressing matter at the moment,” Sombra continued, causing Satya to tighten her jaw.

“Well, why are you here?” Satya asked. Sombra shifted her weight on her feet, hooking her arm around Satya’s shoulders, leading her out of the room, feet carefully stepping over the bodies.

“Well, I’m here to reclaim my favor from you. I know someone as resourceful and smart as you can do it!” Sombra explained. Satya felt a blush come to her cheeks. She barely knew this woman yet she was acting as if they’ve know each other for years. Sombra suddenly held something in front of Satya’s eyes.

“Do you know what this is?” Sombra turned it over slightly to allow Satya to look at it fully. Satya glanced at Sombra.

“Yes, it’s a thumb drive,” Satya answered. Sombra smiled.

“Yes, you’re correct,” Sombra held it out for her, Satya’s quickly moved to catch it as it fell from Sombras fingertips. Satya noted the small skull symbol printed on the side. “I need you to take this and simply plug it into any computer terminal at your Watchpoint and open a file,”

Satya’s eyebrows knit together, stopping. Sombra slipped her arm out from around her, taking a few more steps ahead before turning to face Satya again.

“Why do you require this?”

“I need access to something in the Overwatch archives, and this will allow me to reach it,”

“But why-“

Sombra leaned forward, holding Satya by the shoulders firmly, looking her dead in the eye.

“Satya, have I given you any reason to doubt my motives?”

“You haven’t really told me any of your motives,” Satya challenged.

“That’s because it is top secret, but it is going to help you I promise. I’m doing this all for you, Satya, I’m your friend,”

Friend. Friend? There is that word again.

Satya jerked away from Sombra, glaring down at her now.

“Why?”

Sombra chuckled lightly, smiling again.

“Fine, I guess I can tell you,” She took another step closer, hand resting on her forearm gently, keeping her from getting away again. The touch could have come of more than just friendly in Satya’s opinion.

“You don’t really want to see Vishkar destroyed, just changed. You want to see yourself at the head, making the decisions, making it all right for you and your future, the way you want to see it. And that is what I want too! We have similar goals, but if Overwatch found out they may not like that. And if they found out that I am helping you with your own agenda, they would not trust you, and then you would get kicked out and they would settle with destroying Vishkar in total. And you would be alone, with no resources and nowhere to go… And you know that that can’t happen, right?” She questioned, Sombra’s gaze was strong. Satya turned her head, looking away.

“I… Right…”

“So,” Sombra’s other hand came to Satya’s chin, bringing her back to look at her. It was not forceful or hostile, but gentle. It made Satya blush. “I need you to not tell anyone about me, I need you to help me so that I can help you. Because that’s what friends are for, right?”

Satya stared at Sombra, then glanced down at the thumb drive in her hand. She turned it over in her fingers, biting her lip before looking back up to Sombra. She had never really had someone in her life she would go as far to call a friend. Sure, there were acquaintances, and people who were friendly to her, but never a friend. Was this woman a friend? She had little reason to believe not, but if she wanted to get to know her and her motives better it would be best to play naïve and play along for now. And if she wanted to help her, who was she to stop her? Who knows? Maybe they were friends. Maybe they could be friends.

“So? What do you say, Amiga?”

“Okay, friend,” Satya emphasized, smiling warmly. “I’ll see what I can do,”

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos is appreciated, Comments keep me going and really help me out! Like something, Dislikes something? let me know down below
> 
> Tumblr: Letmeshinebright

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! feedback is appreciated. If you want to reach me directly, you can find me at letmeshinebright.tumblr.com


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